Dreams Only Last For A Night
by WhoIAmHatesWhoIAm
Summary: Holly Richards didn't have a perfect life. In fact, it wasn't even near that. So when a professor, Dr Sam Winchester, helps her out when she needs his course, she figures maybe it cant be all bad. Sam/oc. real life situation, no supernatural realm.
1. Chapter 1

Holly wasn't someone who begged. She never fought with people if their answers were no; she simply went with it, and figured out a way she could get what she needed or wanted without their help, or whatever reason she went to them for. She didn't like asking people for much, anyway, so it never really was a problem. But now, now she had no other choice.

"Karin," she started, reading the nametag on the woman's shirt. She saw the slightly aged woman raise a brow. "Isn't there anything you could do? Please, something. I have all my other major classes in and this is the last one that I—"

"I understand; we've already been through this." Karin started, a tight-lipped, fake smile on her face. Holly knew defeat was coming. "But if you can't make any of the class times, there's nothing I can do."

"Is there…is there someone I can talk to? Can I talk to one of the lit teachers? Someone has to be—"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Richards, but no professor is going to work with you during their free time, for an entire semester. " The color drained from Holly's face, traces of her previous smile gone. Her face looked tired, so tired, and worn out.

She could play the pity card, she realized. About how her father is dead, and her mother is in a mental home for more mental illnesses than she can count. She could tell her that the reason she barely has time is because of her work schedule. She has to pay all the bills for their home, and for her mother's stay in the center. She could tell her how she hasn't slept in two days, and probably hasn't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast.

But she doesn't. Pity isn't something she likes. Holly bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, and straightened up, backing away from the English department's office.

"Alright. Thanks for your help." _Help my ass. A rock could have helped me out more than you did. _

Turning around and walking toward the door, she realized how screwed she was. She needed to get her degree, because the mental institute was going to be charging more for new treatments. She needed more money because there's only so much that a waitress could do. Even with as many shifts as possible, Ellen already was giving her every possible available hour. Now that summer was ending, and she couldn't possibly work as much, things were about to get a little harder, and a degree as soon as possible would be great.

Holly brushed past a tall man, not paying attention to anything. She was devastated, and tired, and hungry. She didn't notice him linger in the small office, looking into a mailbox. And she was almost out the door, when she heard Karin speak up.

"Dr. Winchester! I have your mail right here." Her head turned, very slowly, to watch the scene. Karin was smiling and batting her eyelashes, handing the man his mail. She noticed he was taller than she originally thought, and his back was broad, very broad. His hair went to the nape of his neck, and she bet it kind of swept over his forehead. Not that it mattered.

The man, who she now recognized to be a professor from the lit department, thanked the woman with a kind, but strong voice.

_Don't do it, Holly. Don't be annoying. You know it'll never work, that no one would be willing to give up their FREE time for your dumb needs. Especially a busy professor. _

Despite her internal battle, she let the door close with a quiet click, and walked up to him, gathering up her voice. "Excuse me, Dr. Winchester?" Holly watched as Karin's eyes grew into slits, as if angered that her time with this man was being cut short. Oh well, she's too old for him anyway.

Holly watched the tall man turn around and she had to literally tip her head back to see his face, which she might add, was quite handsome. He looked at her with a slightly confused look on his face, and she figured he was trying to remember her from a class.

"I have a problem, do you think I could talk to you—"

"Excuse me, I told you that the professors won't be able to do anything, young lady. Please don't bother them!" Karin was super angry at her, Holly could tell. She watched Dr. Winchester give a polite smile to the woman, and then looked back over at Holly. She adjusted her book bag self-consciously.

"It's okay, Karin. I could try to help. Now, a problem, you say?" With his back toward Karin, Holly tried to resist a smirk. That bitch could kiss her ass, now. Maybe this could somehow work out.

"Yes, I…could I talk to you in private? If you're not busy."

"I seem to be completely free for the moment. Follow me." He gave Holly a professional smile and began walking deeper into the building. Trailing behind him, she finally smirked at Karin, who looked more than unhappy.

They walked in a slightly uncomfortable silence, until they got to his office. It was pretty messy, she thought, for a teacher. Then again, it was really only books and papers, so she wasn't surprised. The little potted plant on the window was looking a little yellow, but overall the room was nice. He took a seat behind his desk, and Holly awkwardly shuffled to the chair facing it.

"Now, what was your name again?"

"Oh, sorry!" She was a little flustered, and embarrassed. He didn't even know who she was, and she was going to pour her problems out to the guy. Maybe even have to beg a little. Holly squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable.

"I'm Holly. Holly Richards!" She stuck her hand out with the force of a bullet, and watched as the smile on his face grew a little wider, as if he was amused. Holly noticed that he couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than her.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Holly. I'm Sam." His hand reached out to shake hers, and she watched his engulf hers, giving it a firm shake. _He has nice hands… _

She held back the confused look as to why his first name was stated, but didn't dwell on it, as he continued. "What can I help you with?"

"Nice to meet you too, hello. Right, so, my issue. See, I need to take all of my major classes this semester. And I'm really shitty—sorry, bad—at making schedules, and by the time all my classes were in, I realized I didn't have room for my lit course." Holly's hands were moving around as she talked, almost as if she were illustrating her words.

Dr. Winchester watched her with a small frown on his face. "That's not good." His tone wasn't mocking or sarcastic, just neutral. Holly sighed, tugging on a loose strand of hair that fell free from her bun.

"I know. And I…okay." She took a deep breath, readying herself. She really, really hated asking for things. Dr. Winchester leaned back in his seat, almost amused at her antics.

"I have to take my neighbor's kid to school every morning, and I work a whole lot...and there's literally no lit class available when I have any sort of time. So…I was…I was wondering, if maybe you could work with me at another time? I'd…I'd do any classes you have to offer, and I promise I'd get everything done. I swear. I'll work really hard." Her point of view was a huge fail, she realized. What professor on this planet would willingly redo lessons with a student on his own time? And allow her to miss all classes.

The amusement was gone from his face, and he leaned forward, his face thoughtful. Holly did her best to sit still as he watched her, but his eyes were making her shifty and she focused her attention to the cars parked outside of his window.

"Tell me about your usual everyday schedule, during the school week." When he finally spoke, Holly jumped a little in her seat, locking her eyes onto his for a brief moment before reverting them to her hands.

"My schedule? Uh…well, Jake, the kid, goes to school about a half hour away from my home. Um…he starts school at 8, so I'm up by 7, and I get home around 8:30, and my first class starts at 9:15. I'm home by 2:30, and I go to work at 3," She paused, taking a breath. "I have night classes at 6 to 9:30, and then I go to work the night shift at 10. I get home by 12:30." She finishes, chewing on her lip. The professor watched her with curious eyes.

"You do that every day?"

Holly nodded. "And on Saturdays I work most of the day. Sundays I only work from 6 am to the afternoon." Her face flushed as she realized how lame she sounded. She literally had no life.

"Why do you take the boy to school?"

Her posture got a little straighter as she sat up in the seat. "It's only for the first semester, actually. Which is why I had room for a different course second semester. But oh, his mom is a nurse, and for a while they have her doing a morning shift. So she asked me…I mean, I couldn't say no…" Her voice trailed off as she shrugged, and looked up at him. It was a pretty bad move, seeing as he was watching her with intent curiosity that made her squirm.

"Why do you work so much?"

She chuckled quietly. "You know, expenses for college, and the bills." Holly mentally slapped herself for that one; she hadn't meant to say the last part. _Maybe he didn't catch that._

Well, he did.

"You live alone?" his voice was a little gentler than it was before, and Holly winced. His voice was on the verge of almost pity.

"Yes, well…I live with my…mom. But she's not home…a lot…" Her mumbles were soft, as she stumbled on her words. Holly snuck a peek at the professor, who seemed even more curious than before.

"Does she work a lot too, then?"

"Yes…" She started, and then sighed. "Well, no, she's just…she can't really—" Holly rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger.

"Look, Mr. Winchester…do you think we could work something out?" She wasn't there to discuss her personal life, and she didn't want to anyway. Her eyes were hopeful, though, as she looked up at him, even though she was expecting the worst.

"I introduced myself as Sam, didn't I? I feel old when people call me Dr. Winchester." A soft grin spread itself out on his face, and she nodded.

"I think I could work something out with you, Holly." Her eyes widened and she was pretty sure they were even sparkling.

"Really? Thank you! Thank you so much, Dr. Winches—sorry—Sam. Really. Thank you so much. Really. Just. Thank you s—"

He cut her off with a genuine laugh, and waved his hand back and forth, almost as if dismissing it. "I offer three courses. European Literature III, Global Literature, or Chaucerian Literature. Pick whichever you feel is best."

Holly scrunched her eyebrows together, and nodded. "I'll go with Chaucerian Literature. If…if that's okay."

"That's fine, Holly." His professional smile was back in place. "When should we meet?"

"Can uh…can you do Saturdays maybe? I could get a shift or two taken away for Saturdays."

"Saturdays are fine for me. In the morning? Say…10 o'clock?"

Holly nodded, completely grateful. "Yes sir! That's fine with me. Thank you again, so much."

Sam's smile was genuine, and Holly stood up with one of her own. Finally, her day wasn't going so shitty.

"Shall we meet this Saturday, before school? I think you'd benefit from it. I'll tell you about what I'm planning with the class. We'll meet in here?"

Holly nodded her head vigorously, and shook his hand once more. She locked her eyes onto his, and thanked him again, hoping he knew how serious she was.

"Don't mention it, just be ready to work! Here," he started, writing something down on a piece of paper. "is my cell number, office number, and home number. In case you have to cancel at any time, let me know."

She took the paper and nodded, thanking him again before turning out of his office, doing a little happy dance into the department office. She turned and faced Karin, grinning.

"_Sam _worked it out with me. Thanks so much for your help!" Holly said his name nice and slow, letting it sink in to the other woman's ears, before plastering on a huge, fake smile.

Maybe school wouldn't suck so hard this year.

* * *

><p>Hey guys! This is my first story (: I don't own supernatural. Sam winchester is not mine. -sob- so there's your disclaimer. (:<p>

my story is a spin off, of this lovely livejournal one i read. EXCEPT, hers was a castiel/dean fic. And mine is not.

HERE IS YOUR PROOF, I AM NOT STEALING SOMEONE'S IDEA AND CLAIMING IT AS MY OWN. I'm going to be doing something different, but it idea was sparked from her story. .

okay? don't yell at me or anything for stealing. All credit is given due, right there. ^

anyway, I hope you all stick around and watch this story unfold. Reviews are appreciated! Constructive criticism helps a lot. Thank you! xx


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday rolled around after grueling summer days of work, and Holly hadn't realized that she was actually almost excited to do this. She was a waitress, and she conversed with people, yes. But all in all, she didn't have any friends, minus Anna. She didn't even know if she could count Anna, because technically, that was her boss.

_Whatever, it doesn't even matter. _

She finished her early morning hours—Anna found someone who could cover her Saturday late morning shifts—and got into her car, realizing it was almost 9:45.

_Okay, I have 5 minutes to spare if I need it. Should I go home and change? _Her eyebrows drew together as she stole a peak down at her apparel. A tank top, flats, and jeans covered her body and she shrugged, deciding it was fine. _It'd be good to get there a bit early, anyway. Show him I'm serious._

Holly stopped in a café, getting herself a chai tea latte. She had wanted to get the professor coffee or something, but she realized she didn't even know how he liked it. She winced as she got back into the car, and drove her way to school. It was odd seeing it quite empty, especially the lit department. She was glad the bitch Karin wasn't there, though.

Sam's door was unlocked, so she let herself in, sitting down in the same seat as last time, sipping her tea. She was still 5 minutes early, and she felt her eyelids growing droopy. After her 12:30 shift was over last night…she had her late night work.

She hasn't told anyone yet, and she wasn't planning on it. It's not something she's proud of, but it helps pay the bills, and she had to do all she could. So, she had to work at some strip joint. Dance around a pole here and there, take off her shirt, she never had to get completely naked, and she didn't sleep with anyone. She danced, stripped, and left.

Still, she was ashamed.

The door clicking open snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head quickly, looking at the intruder with wide eyes. Sam had his hands in front of him in an act of innocence, and a pack of donuts was hanging from his mouth. He looked much more casual today, in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He dropped the donuts on the table, and walked over to a coffee maker. At least she didn't feel bad about being the only one drinking something.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm surprised you're here this early."

"No, it's okay. The…I was going to wait outside but the door was unlocked so I figured…"

His smile was a little bit more relaxed, and she felt some tension drain from her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I figured you might be here, so I left it unlocked last night. It's not like I have anything steal worthy in here anyway." Holly chuckled as he sat down, with his coffee.

"I brought donuts." She had to bite back a smile at the casualness and just plain weirdness of this, and declined politely. Anna made sure she had some food before she left.

"So, what are we going to be doing today?"

"Well, I have a list of the books you're going to need, and I figured I'd introduce you to what's going to go down in my class." He was back to serious teaching mode, and Holly did her best to stay focused.

Sam placed a list down in front of her, sliding his finger down the list as he said them out loud. Holly briefly thought about how nice his hands were again. "We're going to be looking at four of Chaucer's works. The Book of Duchess, The Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Criseyde, and ending with substantial selections from The Canterbury Tales. There will be quizzes on what I've assigned to read every class period, but I figure we can just discuss what you've read. Three papers will be done, and two big tests. Okay?"

There was a lot of information being absorbed, but Holly nodded, getting the gist of it. Besides, the list was hers.

"I'll get these books right away." She said, eyeballing the list once more.

"Great, so I'll assign some reading, then, for next Saturday's discussion." An hour went by of a little note taking, some general discussion on her knowledge of Chaucer, and a little bit of laughter.

"Holly, can I ask you a question? It has nothing to do with literature." Sam was looking at her curiously again, like he was on Thursday when asking about her personal life.

"I…I can't guarantee an answer, but you're welcome to ask." She saw his face light up with a slight grin, and she felt a blush settle on her cheeks as she grinned back.

"Why are you paying all the bills?" His voice was gentle, almost as if he were trying to soothe it out of her. And if she weren't so strong willed about keeping things to herself, it probably would have worked.

"I...I don't feel comfortable talking about it. But…don't think lowly of my mother, or anything. There's…she's…she tries." Holly finished her sentence lamely, knowing it really didn't make any sense.

Sam was quiet for a moment, and Holly focused her eyes on his hands again, not wanting to meet his eyes. They were large hands, of course. She remembers when she first shook his, how it covered her tiny one whole. They looked soft, though…in a calloused sort of way.

_What the hell are you doing, Holly?_

She shook herself out of her thoughts, a flush creeping in on her cheeks. Hopefully, he didn't notice.

"That's understandable. Don't worry, Holly. Oh, I have one more thing to go over before you go." And with that, he fluidly changed the topic. She was grateful for his ability, because that was something she could never do. Everything she did was awkward.

The two hours was up, and she stood, stretching her tiny limbs. As Sam stood, Holly realized how much of a height difference they had. Sam had to have been around 6'5, she thought to herself.

"Read up to line 100 of The Book of Duchess for now. Make sure to take notes. Write down things you don't understand, things you do understand, and etcetera. Don't be late to work, okay? See you next Saturday, Holly."

"Alright! Thank you professor—woops—Sam. Goodbye!" She slung her book bag over her shoulder and waved slightly, thinking about a man with a kind smile, and lovely hands.

* * *

><p>"My mom says thank you again, for taking me to school…" Jake said shyly, looking out the window. Holly smiled, lowing the volume of the radio down. Jake was a good kid, and she's been babysitting him since he was 5. Now, he's a sophomore in high school, and Holly can't help but feel proud at how great he's grown. His shyness is still there, though.<p>

"Hey, tell her I said don't mention it." She nudged him with her elbow, and watched a smile light up on his face. He's always been a good kid. "I'm picking you up today too, actually. Your mom has a meeting. You better tell me all about school! Hit on some hot girls, eh?" she winked and nudged him again, getting the laugh she was aiming for.

Jake got out of the car and spotted a friend while he was pulling out his book bag from the back seat. Holly rolled down her window.

"See you, Jake!" She smiled and waved, watching his face heat up as he swiftly waved back when his friend walked over, watching Holly with wide eyes.

"Bro, who is she? She's fucking hot!"

Holly let out a loud laugh as she rolled up her window, driving back toward her home. It sucked that his school and her school were in completely opposite directions, but she didn't mind. Jake's mom has helped her out a lot.

_Today started off alright, maybe my first day back won't be so bad._

And it wasn't. Holly got through her school day with ease. By the time 2:30 rolled around, though, she couldn't deny the fact that she was exhausted.

"Hello, Anna?" Holly had the phone pressed to her ear as she chucked her laptop into her school bag, walking out of the building. "I'm so sorry, I have to pick up my neighbor's kid from school. Can someone cover my 3-4 shift? I'll be in at 5, and can finish up." Of course Anna gave it to her. Holly barely ever takes off, and is always reliable, so it wasn't even a problem.

Jumping into her car, she looked up and noticed the she was parked right outside Sam's office. She smiled for some reason and put on some music, opting for one of her cd's rather than the radio.

Holly waited about 5 minutes in front of Jake's school before he showed, walking out with that same friend from the morning. She honked her horn a couple of times, as Jake's eyes scanned the roads.

Saying bye, she watched him get to the car, not even bothering to dump his schoolbag in the back seat.

"Tough day?" Holly questioned softly, watching the young boy sigh from the corner of her eye. They were like family, at least, Holly considered him a little brother.

Jake nodded and shrugged. "It's high school," was all he said, causing Holly to chuckle sympathetically.

"I heard you were having trouble with your schedule from my mom," he continued, "did you work it out?"

Holly smiled, grateful that he was at least being talkative. Kind of. "Yeah! My professor is letting me work outside of school time with him, and marks me present for classes. It was really nice of him."

"Is he a nice guy?" The question caught Holly off guard, and she blinked a few times.

"Well, I don't know him too well, but he seems like a good guy. I mean, he helped me out when I needed it right? Why?" Her head cocked to the side. _What a weird thing to ask…_

"No reason." He said with a smile. The rest of the ride home was pretty much silent, minus Holly humming along to the songs that played.

When she got to work, she was relieved to find no one there for food. Of course some teachers gave work on the first day, and Holly figured she'd get it done.

"How was school?" Anna popped out from the kitchen, leaning over the counter. She was only 2 years older than Holly; her parents left her in charge of the diner.

"Pretty fine, actually. I had most of my classes just—"

"Alright, I don't care. Tell me, any hot teachers?" All Holly could do was laugh, she was glad she had Anna's company. Her face flushed, however, when the image of a certain English professor popped into her mind.

"Well…I mean…you know the teacher that I told you about before? The one who's letting me do classes during the weekends? I…I don't know…I guess he's cute." Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she realized this is the second time she's had to talk about him.

To her relief, some customers walked in, and the subject was dropped. Holly didn't have time to think about attractive teachers.

* * *

><p>"I don't know, man. I don't like that fucking—woops, sorry—freaking Queen Alcyone at all." Holly declared, the second Sam sat down in his seat behind his desk. She watched a wide smile form as his face.<p>

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"She's just…what I got so far, she's refusing to eat because she doesn't know where her husband is! And she's doing that freaky dream thing, asking some other loon to tell her if he's okay through a dream…I don't know. She seems too dependent."

His smile grew into a grin. "Oh? Isn't she just in love?"

Holly rolled her shoulders, biting at her lip. "Well, I don't know what love feels like. But, she needs to learn to breathe a little with out him, right? Everyone ends up leaving one time or another anyway, and clearly her husband just left."

"You're a woman in her last year of college, and you've never been in love?" Sam seemed to have ignored the rest of her words, focusing on those. His eyebrows were up; Holly couldn't tell if by surprise, or if he was impressed. Maybe a bit of both.

"Well…no…I mean, I don't think I have. I prefer relationships to flings, and I hadn't really found anyone I'd consider a relationship with… " She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, blabbling information about herself.

Surprisingly, that's how a good 45 minutes was spent. Holly told him a little more about herself, and he shared a few details as well. Sam is 29, and got his four degrees in 10 years. He has one older brother, and he grew up mostly with him. Their mom died before Sam was old enough to remember, and their father was always working. Holly told him about her long hours as a waitress, and her debt to her neighbor. How she doesn't have any siblings, but considers the kid next door her brother. She avoids much about her mom, and she's pretty sure Sam notices, but doesn't say anything.

12 pm rolled around quickly, and Holly jumped out of her seat hastily as the alarm on her phone went off. Sam cleared his throat and stood as well, a bit more gracefully than she did.

"You're a hard worker, Holly." She looked up, catching his eyes, and really noticed them. They were hazel, with flecks of gold and green in them. If she looked deep enough, she wondered, she could probably see some blue.

"Ah, uh, yeah!" She broke away from her thoughts, shifting her gaze to the floor. "Thank you again, profess—fuck, oh wait, no I mean oops—Sam! See you next Saturday!" and she was out, jogging to her car. There was a flush on her cheeks, and as she pulled out of the parking lot, she realized that she might have a crush on her professor.

* * *

><p>Aw guys hi again! (': Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to read, and to review. The reviews really motivate me to write quickly! It means a lot. I hope you like this chapter! Constructive criticism is helpful, and reviews are wonderful. HINTCOUGHCOUGH. x'D<p>

Anyway, have a good day guys!

Angela


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks have been rolling by, and Holly has found herself in a comfortable cycle. Drop off Jake, school, work, school, work, homework, sleep. She looked forward to Saturdays the most; they were actually really interesting.

It was Friday night, and she was at that stupid Gentleman's Club, and those thoughts were the only ones keeping her sane. _Tomorrow, tomorrow I get to do something I like _was a thought that she played over and over.

"Holly? You're on in five." She winced, slipping off her jeans and tee shirt, and putting on some ridiculously short skirt and some tight sleeveless button down. _It's not like I have much to take off…_ she mused to herself, the knot already in her stomach. She hated this part, hated it more than anything.

She stepped out on the stage in her impossibly high heels, keeping her eyes unfocused. She tried paying attention to the music, and not the way these disgusting older men sat there watching her. Most of them were old; she didn't notice many younger guys.

She felt like a cheap whore as she finished, gathering up the skirt and shirt and the money that was thrown for her, as she made her way off the stage. Holly swore to herself she'd never end up doing anything degrading, no matter how bad it got. But recently, it's been worse than she thought. This money was food money.

She threw on her clothes and said bye to the manager, who actually wasn't that bad of a guy. She gave him his 20 bucks, the deal he made with his workers, and tucked the rest in her pocket. 105, minus the 20, and she was left with 85 dollars. It was pretty good, for an hour.

"Uh…Holly? Hey, Holly!" Holly was just about to get in her car when she whirled around to the sound of her name being called. She saw a tall woman running toward her.

"You left your cellphone!" The woman was panting, and a relieved tingle went down her spine. She would be lost without that phone. The woman had to have been around her age. She had choppy brown bangs and hair that went a little passed her shoulders. Holly recognized her as another worker in the club.

"Oh wow, thanks so much, uh…" She took the phone gratefully and rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. The girl knew Holly's name, and Holly didn't know hers.

"Grace! I'm Grace. You're new, right?"

Holly hadn't expected anyone to talk to her. The girls she kind of interacted with for the past couple of weeks were bitches, so she avoided them. Grace, however, seemed pretty genuine. For, you know, a stripper who she didn't know.

"Yeah…thanks again, Grace. My phone is my lifeline." They chuckled and made idle small talk, until Rob, the manager, called Grace back in.

"My turn, I guess. See you around Holly!" Holly smiled and called a goodbye after the retreating figure, and drove off, a little happier. She wasn't one with many friends, and any sort of company was quite nice.

* * *

><p>Morning arrived quickly, and Holly woke up to a terrible realization that it was 11:30. Not only had she missed her morning shift, but she was late to her lesson with Sam.<p>

Throwing on whatever was closest, Holly was out the door with just brushed teeth. She drove as fast as she could without getting a ticket, and arrived at the school 10 minutes later.

Holly ran through the parking lot and to her professor's office in seconds, and threw open the door, panting. _Well...at least I look dramatic?_

"Sam…Sorry, I'm so sorry! I slept through my alarm, I—"

"Don't worry about it. You're here, right?" He smiled as Holly plopped down in the seat. Sam pushed a mug toward her, watching in amusement as her head tilted to the side.

"You had tea the first time you were here, right? I figured something must have been up, and well, I got you some tea." His attention was focused on his computer, and Holly couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. She also felt an uneasy knot in her stomach, as she sipped the tea. She knew she was blushing.

"Thank you…that…that was kind. Thanks."

They didn't spend too much time talking about Chaucer and his poem, however. Holly got off into a rant about the queen again, which sparked on a whole tumbling of different conversations.

"Holly," Sam stoped her in the middle of a rant about insanely dependent women. "did you rush right here the second you woke up?"

Confused, she bit her lip. "Yes, I did, I—OH! I have to call Anna! I missed my morning shift!" She scrambled around her schoolbag for her phone, amusement on Sam's face. He seemed to be a lot more natural now, with his casual clothing, and his nonprofessional smiles.

"Anna?"

"My boss." Holly mumbled, dialing the number. Sam sat patiently, just watching. It was almost a little unnerving, but Holly was too preoccupied to care.

"Anna? Hello, I'm so sorry I—no, I'm not dead I—no, Anna, you don't have to kill anyone, I just—yes, Anna, I know you're there for me. I overslept. I'm so sorry! I got to my lesson a little late too…" Holly checked the clock on the wall, completely missing Sam's cocked eyebrow and severely amused grin. "Could I come in for 1:30? Maybe 2?" Anna agreed quickly, not minding at all. All Holly did was work, and Anna knew it. "Thank you so much. I'll make it up to you, I swear! Bye, Anna." Holly hung up and sighed in relief, leaning back in her seat.

"Anna seems like a fine lady." The grin was still on Sam's face, and Holly laughed, fixing the messy bun on her head. She realized they looked like two friends, just causally conversing. She's been coming to him for a few weeks now, and Holly was bold enough to admit to herself that she considered him a friend. Kind of.

"Anna's great. She helps me out a lot and gives me time off whenever I need it. Not that I use it much, anyway." She smiled, focusing her attention back on the book on the table.

"I figured by 2, we'd have our time made up that I missed. If…if you don't have anything to do, of course. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, I'm free. Which brings me back to my previous question. You came here straight away, without eating?"

Holly nodded, blinking out of curiosity. "Shall we continue our lesson at the café down the street? I'm due for some lunch, and you haven't even eaten yet."

She felt her face heat up, and she struggled for some sort of reason to deny going, but couldn't find one. That is how she ended up in a tiny café, having breakfast—lunch? Brunch?—with Sam. Her professor.

They spent their time eating, and mostly talking about school and their lives, with a little bit of Chaucer. It was a little awkward at first, and Holly was unnerved to admit that it was probably the most fun she's had in a while, just interacting with someone. Sure, she had Anna, and her thoughts flitted over to the nice girl, Grace, and they both were nice to talk to, but this was really interesting. Something about this guy just…made things interesting.

Recently, Holly had been finding herself looking at his eyes more often. They were just as nice as his hands, maybe even nicer. She liked it when the green was more visible. During those days, his eyes were a breathtaking sort of color.

Holly ate her cheese fries avidly; she hadn't realized how hungry she was. _When was the last time I ate? Friday morning?_

"Did you make those?" Sam's voice shook her out of her thoughts as she followed his eyes to the bracelets on her wrists. They were made with embroidery string, and they were old and worn. Still, she never took them off.

"Yeah, I did. I used to make them a lot. Now I can't, I don't have enough time." She toyed with one gently, watching the patterns.

"That's a skill, you know. I don't have the eye to do something like that." He chuckled, and Holly smiled up at well.

"Well, you have nice eyes though." _Woops. I did not mean to say that._ Holly's eyes widened a fraction before she lowered them to her food, face as red as the ketchup on her plate.

"I mean…you know…" Except, she was pretty sure he didn't know. In fact, she didn't know either. _Oh God, oh God that was absolutely mortifying. _

There was a painful sort of silence, and it looked as though Sam was biting back a grin before he changed the subject back to Chaucer. Holly had never been so grateful to hear poetry in her life.

By the time 1:30 rolled around, they were full, and content. "Thank you again, for helping me out like this. I know I say it all the time, but I wouldn't know what would have happened if I didn't get this course in."

"Don't mention it, really. In fact, your company is quite enjoyable. It's easier to talk to you about Chaucer than it is to the rest of my class. It's more entertaining, too." Holly heard the slight praise behind his words, and felt her heart do something painful in her chest. He spoke as they walked over to the cashier, and then Sam pulled out his credit card and handed it to the woman as Holly was getting her cash from her bag.

Her eyebrows were drawn together, and she stared at Sam. "Uh…Sam, hey, um…"

"Holly, can I tell you something?"

"I hope it's some sort of explanation, because I have my money right here." Holly's face was red again, but instead of a flustered red, it was more of one of humiliation. She didn't want him to pity pay for her because she worked her ass off for money or anything. She had money because of what she did, and she's always been proud of being a working girl. Minus the stripping.

"You've worked more than half of your classmates combined, and I'm sure you take care of your mother, with whatever it is that she needs, as well as your home. Not to mention all of your school hours. You help people out, like your neighbor, and I'm pretty sure you're under thanked. You put more effort into this course than any of my students; I've seen your notes. Listen, Holly, I'm being a nice person, and I'm thanking you. Accept it, yeah? It's a little lunch. Don't worry about it." He was watching her with those hazel eyes of his, and Holly couldn't fucking say _anything. _ Her own blue eyes stared into his, though, as she finally mumbled out a thanks. What else could she have said? All words were caught in her throat.

"Instead of my office, why don't we meet for coffee here instead? It's more roomy than my office anyway." Sam smiled at her as he asked, signing his name on the receipt and taking his card.

_That sounds like a date. That sounds like a date. Shut up, Holly, it's not a date. He likes coffee. And this place is nicer. SAY SOMETHING. _"Right! Uh, yeah, coffee here sounds fine."

"See you next Saturday, then." With a small smile over his shoulder, Sam departs first, leaving Holly to walk nice and slow to her car, permanent smile on her lips. Of course, he didn't mean anything special by any of his words, but it didn't stop Holly from thinking about a certain floppy haired brunette as she worked.

* * *

><p>Hello again, guys! Or well, whoever's reading this haha x'D I hope you're liking it so far! It seems a little uneventful to me, currently. But I swear, things get a bit more...hectic? quite soon. very soon.<p>

HINT.

hehe c: Anyway! Reviews make me work faster, and constructive criticism and your ideas are always taken into consideration. C:

I hope you're all having a great day!

Angela


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello? Jake?" It's Sunday morning and Holly's voice is a little hoarse from sleep. She has the day off today, because Anna's parents are in town and the diner is closed. She figured it'd be good to catch up on that history essay, and also catch up on some sleep.

"Shit, sorry Holly. Did I wake you? I'm sorry." He's stumbling over his words and Holly chuckles before rubbing some of the sleep from her eyes.

"Don't worry about it kid. What can I do for you?"

"Well…" he clears his throat, and she can tell he's walking around. "My mom is working today, and my friends want to go to the movies. It's only three of us, and their parents are working during the time of the movie…and I was wondering…could you take us?"

Holly sat up in bed, yawning. "Sure Jake. I'm off today, so you're lucky. What time?"

"The movie is at 5. They'll be here, so you don't have to worry about picking them up. Thanks so much, Holly. I really owe you!"

She just chuckled, flopping back down into bed. It was only 8, she had plenty of time. "You do, buddy. Don't forget it! I'll see you at 5." She hung up the phone, and lulled herself back into sleep.

Hours passed, and she woke up with a groan around 10. That was the most sleep she'd gotten in a long while. Holly stood up, stretching around like a cat. _Today is going to be my day._ And with that thought, she jumped into the shower, staying in longer than usual.

She left her hair down for once, unlike the usual bun she did. Straightening it wasn't necessary; she liked the way her hair curled with soft waves when it air-dried. Holly never left it down because it would bother her when she was hunched over taking notes, or running around at work. She didn't have any need to keep it down.

"I should actually plan an outfit. Now that I'm totally pampering myself." Her voice sounded tiny and strange in the silence of the house, and a sense of loneliness filled her bones. Ignoring it, she scoped through her closet, which wasn't that big to begin with. It's not like she had a lot of extra money for designer clothes. Holly didn't mind, though. She liked her simple things better.

She opted on a denim skirt instead of her usual worn out jeans, and a plain white tank top with a crème cardigan over it. _This is weird. I never fucking plan clothing. _Holly felt a little uncomfortable, and more than a little hungry.

Her kitchen was mostly empty; she liked to buy food as she needed it, and not stock up. Usually she didn't have much money for food, anyway. Her day went by quickly, filled with studies and relaxation. She wondered if this is what most college students felt like every day, and an uneasy feeling spread in her stomach. She almost kind of wished she could have been normal.

_Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more—_

Holly jumped out of her seat, running for her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Holly? Hey sweetie, it's Rob." She could feel her heart sink with each word. Rob wasn't actually a bad guy, for a strip club owner. She just didn't like hearing from him.

"Right, hi Rob. How can I help you?"

"Listen, I know tomorrow is a school night for you, but do you think you could come in? At 12:30? Please, someone bailed last minute, and there's going to be one guy there that I have to impress. You can keep all funds for that night; you don't have to give me 20 bucks. Please?"

Holly squirmed around, biting her lip. This job was done for last minute, needed cash. She wasn't there to make a career, or to help anyone out. But the pleading tone coming for the other side of the phone made her squeeze her eyes shut. She was always bad at denying help.

"Sure. I could do that. Just once, okay? I told you, I'm—"

"I know, you're not there for a living. Just some cash. Thanks so much, Holly. I'll see you then!"

She shut her cell phone with a defeated sigh, and plopped back down on her chair. Suddenly, her day wasn't going so great anymore.

_Shit, It's 4:45. I should go get Jake._

Pushing all thoughts about the job out of her mind, she slipped on her flats and got into her car, honking her horn 3 times like she usually does to let Jake know she was there.

_This is my day. Mine. It's the one day off that I've had in…a long time. I will not let it be ruined. _She chanted that in her mind over and over, until Jake and his friends got in the car, smiling madly at her.

_It will not be ruined._

* * *

><p>"The movie was awful." Holly deadpanned as Jake and his friends freaked out about how wrong she was. A laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head, nudging them toward the direction of a little café.<p>

"You guys want ice cream?" Choruses of "yeah!" and "okay!" surrounded her, and Holly led them into the shop.

"Get what you want, I'll pay—"

"No, we can't make the pretty girl pay. Besides, you brought us here! That's thanks enough." Cameron, Jake's smoothest friend, spoke up and Holly rolled her eyes. This kid was a total flirt. She went along with it though, chuckling.

The smile froze on her lips as she stared across the café with wide eyes. Sitting on the other side of the room was Sam. He was facing her direction, and he was sitting with a guy, Holly realized. The back was far too broad to be a woman's. _At least…I…I think? _

"Do you want anything, Holly?" Jake was looking at her curiously, and she could see a little worry in his eyes. She probably looked like she saw a ghost.

"No, I—I ate way too much popcorn to—"

"Holly?"

Holly didn't realize he had spotted her, and she heard his voice and willed herself to calm down, dragging her eyes up to his face. Turns out she was right, the other was a man. He was a little shorter than Sam, but he looked to be a little older.

"Professor! Hey…" Holly trailed off uneasily, even though it didn't look like Sam was displeased to see her.

"So this is Holly, eh Sammy?" The man next to him had a gruff voice, but kind eyes. His voice was a little teasing, and Holly sensed her face heating up in the realization that Sam must have talked about her. _Relax yourself, Holly. You take his Saturday mornings away with lessons; he must have mentioned that to someone._

"Yes, this is she. Holly, this is my brother, Dean."

Holly remembered Sam mentioning that his older brother's name was Dean, and she put two and two together.

"Pleasure to meet you, Holly. Sam never told me you were so cute!"

Holly knew the blush on her face was clearly visible, but she did her best to stay collected.

"Oh—thank you, I'm not really—It uh…it's a pleasure to meet you too, Dean!" She shook his hand, and she noticed it was a lot rougher than Sam's was. Her eyes flickered over to Sam's face, and she saw he looked kind of probably wasn't the only embarrassed one.

"What're you doing here, Holly?" Sam asked, as Dean went to go pay for whatever they'd gotten.

"Jake, he uh, he asked if I could take him and his friends to the movies," She started, referencing to the boys who were now making their way to her side. "And my bosses parents were in town and shut the diner for today, so I had the day off." Jake stood close to her side, almost protectively. Holly smiled lightly.

"Jake, this is Sam, my professor? The one who helps me out with Saturday lessons?" Realization struck the boy, as he loosened up, smiling a little at Sam.

"Hello Jake, it's nice to meet you." Sam's professional smile was back in place, and they shook hands. Jake was grinning.

"Holly tells me a lot about you, sir." So maybe some Friday mornings she brings him up, excited for Saturday. It was understandable! She enjoyed Chaucer's work. That's not really what it sounded like, though, and Holly stepped on Jake's foot.

"I have fun during your lesson." She mumbled pathetically, trying to salvage the situation. The last thing she needed was her professor thinking she had some weird crush on him. Which, well, she did. But he didn't need to know that.

Sam's face kept the same serious smile—she never thought those were possible, until now—but his eyes were crinkling with real amusement.

"You do seem to take to Chaucer better than my other students. She's a hard worker." He started off talking to her, but directed his attention to Jake.

"Yeah, she doesn't come home until 3 sometime—"

"ALRIGHT JAKE, are your friends done? We should get going, you're mom's going to be home soon, and she wanted to have dinner with you tonight." Holly didn't need Sam questioning her work hours. What exactly could she tell him? _Oh you know, sometimes I work for the Gentleman's Club because I don't have money for food. I strip and dance around on a pole. It's totally normal._

"We should get going too. Dean has work. It was really nice seeing you, Holly. Nice meeting you too, Jake."

Their goodbyes were said, and Holly felt the pounding of her heart all the way to her car.

"You like him, don't you?" Jake was sitting shotgun, while his friends argued in the back. Holly almost slammed on the breaks.

"What, you mean Sam? He's my teacher, Jake! It was just weird seeing him at some ice cream shop. That's all."

She watched him grin out of the corner of her eye, and wondered when he stopped being so shy. "I'm just saying, it'd be kind of nice. He seems like a cool guy."

Holly kept her focus on the road, ignoring Jake's statement. This was completely crazy, she didn't _like_ her professor, she just had a small, tiny _crush_ on him. And maybe she was glad she left her hair down today, and wore a skirt. But that didn't mean anything. Really. It didn't. Still, she went to sleep that night with a pair of hazel eyes in mind.

* * *

><p>"So, what's your story?"<p>

"Pardon?" Holly was putting on a little bit of makeup in the mirror. She was back at the strip club, and Grace was sitting next to her as she got ready.

"Your story. The reason you're here? Clearly you're not like me; you don't want to be here. I can tell by the scared look in your eyes."

Holly stopped what she was doing and blinked slowly, shifting her attention to Grace. She had no problem wearing the tight shirts and the short skirts. In fact, Holly was pretty sure she came in that way. _I guess some people don't mind._

"Reason? I just—you know—I need some extra cash. I'm only here until I get my degree, and can get a real, steady job. I…I don't mean to put this down, or anything. This can probably give a pretty steady income." The last thing Holly wanted to do was offend the one female here who was being nice to her.

Grace grinned, watching Holly fluster around for the right words. "Don't worry about it. I do this on the side because I like it. I don't think there's anything wrong with showing a little skin, and having a little fun from time to time. Most people don't agree with me, though. But whatever, no one's bitching at them to do it." The girls chuckled, settling into a comfortable silence.

"Hey, could I get your number? I know you don't really want to be here, but you seem nice. Maybe we could hang out some time." Holly wanted to point out that hanging out didn't pay the bills, and her free time was next to none, but she wanted a friend. Wanted one so badly, that she hastily wrote her cell number on a scrap piece of paper from some desk.

"Yeah! I don't have much free time but maybe we can hang out some time." She agreed, feeling a little better as she took the stage. She tried to let Grace's words sink into her, about how there was nothing wrong with a little dancing, and some skin.

_When I grow up, I want to see the world, drive nice cars, I wanna have boobies…_

The song was pissing Holly off more than dancing was tonight. She didn't understand how this kind of music was actually loved by kids. Boobies, really? Is that what females really aspired to have when they got older?

Sliding around the pole has gotten easier for Holly, although it was one of her more disliked requirements of the job. She wasn't a…seductive, for lack of better words, sort of person and anything that had to do with being…sexy—Holly squirmed uncomfortably at the word—just made her feel incongruous.

Her time was up and like every other night, Holly picked up her discarded clothing, and the money given to her. And just like every other night, she walked off stage with her head high, like she wanted this, before collapsing backstage on her chair.

"Hey, c'mon Holly. You did fine. Don't beat yourself up over this job. You have to do what you have to do, right?" Grace was back by her side, and Holly didn't know whether to be grateful, or to ask her to leave. She was stubborn, and she hated letting anyone know when she was upset.

"No I—I'm fine, really. I know, I just have to do it. It's just not for me, you know?"

Grace chuckled a little at that, patting her back in a soothing way. Holly sighed, slipping on her pants and shirt. _Fuck, It's already 3:30 am…_ Holly thought, suppressing a groan. She hated going to bed later than 1, because she would be exhausted for the whole day.

As she counted the 125 dollars she made, though, she realized she could put up with it for a little while longer.

"Hey, I'm going home now too, wait for me!" Grace called as Holly stopped in her tracks, at the door. Wayward Son played softly from her pocket as she and Grace stepped outside.

_Jake? Why is he called me at 3:30 in the morning?_

"Hello? Jake? Don't you ever sleep, kidd—wait, Mrs. Cerano? What is—_What?—_what happened? Hello? Mrs.—Where is she? _Where is my mom?" _All the color drained from Holly's face as she stood there, glued to her spot. Grace was watching her with wide eyes. Holly shut her phone with a soft click and stayed rooted to the ground.

"Holly? What happened?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finally spoke, minutes later. "I think my mom flooded our house."

* * *

><p>Hey again. Jeez, I updated twice in one day. WE CAN CLEARLY SEE WHO HAS NO LIFE. hahaha x'D<p>

Anyway, school is starting for me tomorrow, so I figured I could update now, because I don't know how my scheduling will be tomorrow. I might not get a chance to come online.

Teehee, I'm sorry for leaving you off with a cliff hanger x'D I hope you like the chapter. The beginning is kind of a filler, I'm sorry!

But anyway, reviews make updates come faster ;D and constructive criticism is welcomed. (:

I hope you enjoyed reading, and will stick around!

Angela


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Holly got home, there wasn't much left to save. It's not like the house was large anyway; it was more like an apartment. Any papers that were lying out and about were soaked and falling apart. Her bed was ripped up, probably done with the knife that was lying next to it. All mirrors were smashed and broken, and even the floorboards were drenched and pulled up. Any sort of food was thrown out, and anything that could have been damaged…well, it was. Holly thanked her lucky stars that she forgot to put her laptop in her home before she left for work.

Her mother had run away from the mental home—apparently that was possible. Holly gingerly told Jake to go back inside with his mother; that she could handle this.

"Mom?" Holly's voice was soft as she approached the woman who was curled up in a ball in the corner. Her heart broke, seeing her mother rocking back and forth, shivering. "Mom, it's me, Holly. What happened?"

"They—the voices, Holly—they told me our house was evil. I was saving us, Holly! I was saving us! What would I do if—the voices the house was going to hurt you!"

Holly looked around her broken and beat up home, blinking back the tears. There was no way she could live here. Windows were smashed in, wires were cut, and her bedroom was trashed, as well as the small couch they had. Not to mention, everything was soaked to the core. There really was no way she could stay here; it wasn't safe.

"I know mom. Thank you for worrying about me." She crept over to her mother, stoking her damp hair idly. She could hear dripping from the bathroom faucet, and there was a bucket left outside the door. Holly knew she had to hold the tears in, crying wouldn't make this situation better.

"How did you get out, mom?"

"I ran, I ran all the way here for you! Are you mad, Holly? Please don't be mad. I love you, Holly." Her mother whipped around and pulled her into an embrace, and Holly let go a few tears. As long as her mother wasn't looking, it was okay.

"I'm not mad, mom. I love you too. Don't run away from there again, okay? They help you, remember? Did you take your medicine?"

Sarah, her mom, shook her head quickly, reverting back to her corner. "No—I don't like it Holly. They make me sleepy and if I'm sleepy I can't protect you. I have to protect you Holly!"

Her mother was unstable without her medication, and Holly knew that. She focused on keeping her calm. "It's okay, mom. You have to take the medicine, okay? I'm sorry I haven't been calling every day. That's why I wasn't here, I was working. I'm sorry mom."

Sarah looked at her daughter with sad eyes, eyes that looked clear and focused for once. "I'm sorry I can't support you, Holly. I'm so sorry…" And then the moment was over, and the glazed look in her eyes was back. Holly sighed softly, rubbing her mom's shoulder.

"I'm hanging in there, don't be sorry mom. Just promise me—really promise me—you'll take your medicine all the time okay? That's all I need. Please, mom." Holly watched her mother nod slowly, before taking her hand and pulling her up to a standing position.

"Let's get you back to your room, okay?" Holly called it 'her room' because it sounded better than 'the home.' Sarah nodded and together they walked toward Holly's car. She closed the passenger's door with a light click, yawning briefly as Mrs. Cerano, the neighbor, walked outside in a robe, with pity in her eyes.

"Holly, you can't stay in your home, all your windows are broken and I'm sure the inside is no picnic. Where are you going to go? Do you need a place to stay?"

Holly bit her tongue, knowing she really did need a place to stay. What she was about to do was really stupid, but she didn't care. Help was one thing she didn't like accepting.

"My friend will let me stay over her hour for a while. Don't worry Mrs. Cerano, I'll be perfectly fine!" _Lie. Lie Lie Lie. I just lied. Why can't I just ask to stay over her place? I don't get it. She's right here. _"Do you still need me to take Jake to school?"

"Oh dear, I couldn't ask you to do that! Don't worry about Jake's ride, I'll manage. My boss is lenient with single parents, anyway. Don't worry, thank you for your help dear. I hope you'll be back here soon." The pity in her voice made Holly want to be sick, but she plastered a smile on her face anyway.

"Alright. Call me if you need me, and tell Jake the same." She waved and turned to go, but Mrs. Cerano caught her arm.

"Holly, I'm really sorry for what you go through. You're a strong girl, you know? And the same goes for you, missy. Call if you need something. Anything at all."

Holly twanged with guilt; technically she was lying through her teeth to a woman who just wanted to help her. Nodding her head as she stepped into the car, she drove her mother back to the home.

"Take care, okay mom? I'll call you later on today." Her mother pulled her into a hug, warning her about the monsters. Holly bit back a sigh, said goodbye, and sat back in her car.

Minutes passed as she sat in her car, panic bubbling in her chest. Where the fuck was she supposed to go now? Holly willed herself to stay calm, but she couldn't fight the tears as she drove down the road, literally to nowhere. The money she's been making while going to school wouldn't be enough to pay the bills, pay for her mom's stay, and pay for damage repair to her home.

Holly felt like she got punched in the gut as she realized she'd have to stop going to school, and start working what little jobs she had full time. It was now 5 in the morning, and Holly pulled over on the road, so that she could calm herself down enough so she wouldn't break.

* * *

><p><em>Holly, where are you? It's been a week and a half. You haven't gone to any of your classes, and you've been missing our lessons. I'm worried, Holly. Please call me.<em>

Holly listened to the voicemail for the 8th time today, as she wiped down a table at the diner. Sam's voice was laced with worry, and Holly had to bite her lip to keep her eyes from tearing. It was all true, she hasn't been to any of her classes. She's been working all hours at this diner, and as many as she could at night at the club. Anna's parents are taking up the guest rooms, and Grace lives in a studio apartment.

Holly's been lying to everyone. She said she's staying with a friend of hers, when in reality she's sleeping in the backseat—quite uncomfortably, she could add—of her car.

There's a shower in the back of Rob's club, and it's not like she spends her days in the car. Holly is up working from 6 am, to 3am. There's no time for play, and there's no time for school. She still wants to cry, thinking about how she was just _so close._

She grabbed a sandwich from the diner and sat down in a booth after all the customers had left, and decided to call Sam back. She figured it'd be a good idea to let someone know she wasn't dead.

"Holly, is everything okay?" Sam picks up after the first ring, and Holly felt the butterflies go loose in her stomach.

"Hello Sam…sorry I haven't had any contact with you, I—"

"Exactly what is going on, Holly?" His voice was sharp, but the concern was ever-present. She felt herself sigh and she rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, a habit she's grown used to doing.

"It's a long story. But my mom…she damaged our home…to the point of it being unfit to live in." Sam cursed, and Holly thought about how it made him sound even more unprofessor-like.

"Where are you? You haven't gone to class."

"I'm eating some dinner at the diner I work at. I'm sorry, I—I've been working. All day, every day. I need to pay for repairs, and—"

"Exactly what happened, Holly? Where are you staying if you can't stay at home?"

Holly had been lying to everyone, and frankly, she didn't want to lie anymore.

"To be honest, I—It's a long story, I don't feel comfortable talking about it over a phone, and I—I've been staying in my car."

There was a brief pause on Sam's end of the line. "Do you have something to write with and on?"

Holly pulled out a napkin from the dispenser, and grabbed a pen from her pocket. "Yeah…why?"

"Write this down."

Sam was giving her an address. _Why is he giving me an address? Is this…wait, this has to be his address. _Holly's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Uhhhh…I'm fine, really, No, I'm really good I just need to work—"

"You are to come here immediately. You hear me, Holly? Please."

And how could she deny that? She wasn't going to admit it, but she missed him. Just a little. With a slight noise of affirmation, Holly hung up the phone and tmidly walked over to Anna.

"Anna? I have to go, I'm really sorry—"

"Why are you sorry? You've been working just about 24/7. I was waiting for the time you'd leave, Christ. You'll be okay, hang in there. I'll still pay you for the whole day, now go on, get outta here!"

Holly smiled gratefully at the woman before getting in her car, and nervously driving toward her destination. She had managed to save some of her clothing, which was occupying the back seats. Her books and photos, however, were ripped apart and soaked; there was no salvaging them.

The neighborhood she was in was a wealthy one, judging by the luxurious houses. As she pulled up to the address, she saw a perfectly cut lawn, and great landscaping. Holly suddenly felt really out of place.

Before she could knock, Sam already had the door open and was beckoning her inside. "Come in, Holly."

The inside is even nicer. It has modern furniture and nice, clear windows. The floors are wooden, and Sam leads her into the living room, where she sits gingerly on the crème colored sofa.

"I'm really sorry I didn't call—"

"You should be," He started, his face was serious. There was this gentleness in his eyes however and Holly knew that he wasn't completely angry. "But I'm glad you're alright."

"For the most part." She mumbled softly, looking down at her hands.

"What happened, Holly? Can you tell me why your mother would damage your home?" His tone was prodding again, and Holly realized she didn't really have a choice. She was sitting in his freaking house, for God sakes.

"It's not really…I can't blame my mom. She…she's a severe schizophrenic, among other things. I work a lot to keep her in a home so that she can be watched, and you know how expensive those are. She refused to take her medicine and ran home…convinced our house was evil." Holly rubbed her eyes miserably, keeping them from watering.

Holly guessed that Sam was not expecting that, judging by the look of total shock etched onto his face. It washed away quickly, though, and he composed his face to a neutral look. Holly noticed the slight strain around his eyes, however.

"So, you've been doing what? And sleeping where?"

"I realized that I needed to work full time. I couldn't afford to repair my home and pay the bills and keep my mom in her home, while going to school. I work as a waitress. And I've been sleeping in my car."

Sam stood, signaling for her to follow. He walked over to the door, and Holly briefly thought he was telling her to leave, before walking up the stairs.

"Pick a room."

* * *

><p>OH LALA, Sam's growing bold ohohohoho<p>

I'm sorry for cliff hanger number 2. LOL. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was pretty fun to write, especially the scene with Holly and her mom. (:

Reviews leave me EXTREMELY pleased c: and constrictive criticism is welcomed (:

If any of you are interested (who am i kidding no one cares LOL) my school day wasn't too bad. Minus the early morning :c

I hope you all had a good day!

Angela


	6. Chapter 6

Holly spluttered over her words for a moment, before looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Excuse me? No, no, no I couldn't, honestly this is just—"

"You can and you will. I have 3 empty bedrooms. It is completely stupid for you to be sleeping in your car. Now, I think the room at the end of the hall would be best. It's really secluded, and—"

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"I'm not a charity case, Sam. You don't need to pity me."

Holly watches his eyes cloud over with what seems to be hurt. She winces, guilt bleeding from her pores. _Good job, Holly. Offend the guy who's offering you a place to stay._

"Judging from the casualty and amusement we shared when we would meet on Saturdays, I assumed we were friends. Friends help each other out. I don't think of you as a charity case."

Holly's a little stung by the statement, but presses it no further. "Thank you, Sam. Really, It honestly means a lot, but I can't just—"

"I'm glad it does. Holly, I'm happy to help. Now, like I was saying," Sam ignores her protests, and Holly reluctantly goes along on the tour of his home. "I think you'd like the last room best. My brother stays in the basement apartment, and it has it's own entry and kitchen and what not, so we never really bother with each other, so don't worry about him. He spends most of his time at his girlfriend's house anyway."

"Just...a week. All I really need is a week, and I—"

"We'll cross the timing bridge when we get there, Holly. You're welcome for as long as you need. You need to promise me, though; you'll go back to school. Now that you have a sufficient place to stay, you don't need to worry about getting your house repaired as quickly. Cut back on your hours, and get back to school. I'll talk to your teachers. You can't stop yet, Holly. You're so close. You've worked too hard to throw it away."

She was doing her best to keep herself composed. Honestly, she was. But at the mention of school, and how she was almost there, the tears welled up in her eyes, and she was crying into Sam's shoulder in a second. Normally she would have found it odd, how okay he was with stroking her hair, but she hadn't had that in so long and it felt so good to be held.

"I lost the only picture I had of my dad. My books for school are ruined. I need to get a better job so that I can pay everything off but there's nothing better without a degree." Holly is babbling about her mother, and her problems, and why does she have to be the strong one all the time.

"Relax. It's okay, Holly. It'll be okay." Sam's voice is soothing, and after Holly calms from her break down, she feels instantly embarrassed. She pulls away and rubs at her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.

"I'm sorry…I really didn't mean for that to happen. And—And really, this…this won't be a long term thing."

"I'll enjoy your company for as long as you stay." Holly felt his eyes staring into her skull, but she didn't look up. This was the first time she'd cried in front of someone in over 10 years. And he even held her. Embarrassment didn't even begin to cover it.

"Don't you…you know…feel uncomfortable? I'm your student." She wasn't trying to make situations awkward, or worse, she was just being serious. He was, technically, her teacher.

"Well, I don't think you'd take advantage of the situation, would you?"

Holly blinked. "What do you mean?"

"See? Exactly." A chuckle rose from Sam's lips, and Holly finally looked up, blinking past wet lashes. "And, you'd do this for a friend, wouldn't you?"

"Yes…" Her voice was quiet, but she answered immediately. Of course she would have. She would help someone out in a heartbeat.

"Besides. I have the space. You won't be bothering me in your room, and I won't bother you in mine."

"Can I pay you? I really want to pay." Holly honestly doesn't know why she's struggling so much, except for the fact that she thinks she has to.

"Would you accept money? Don't be silly, Holly. The rooms are sitting here, untouched. They're not used. And maybe a little bit of company won't hurt me."

Holly purses her lips, thinking. "Don't you have…I don't know…teacher friends too?"

Sam laughs, but just a little. "They're all really annoying, I won't lie. Besides, I like my privacy."

She does her best to look right at him, and thanks him with as must sincerity as her tiny frame can muster.

Sometimes, good things do happen to people who need it. This wasn't a sane mom, or a repaired home, but it was a lot better than sleeping in a car.

* * *

><p>They work well together, Sam and Holly. Their schedules keep them preoccupied for most of the time, so they're never really on each other's toes. Holly has cut back on work hours, and is back in school. She hasn't been in to her strip job, but Rob hasn't called and she's praying, praying that he'll get the hint that she's done, for now at least. It's a cowardly thing to do, but she's going to hope with all she has in her.<p>

She has spoken to Grace, though, who understands. She's the only one who knows about her situation and wasn't ashamed to ask _But Holly it's your teacher! Isn't that weird? _And yes it's probably the weirdest situation she's ever gotten into to but it was the only option she had.

Holly even has her own key now.

_But Sam, I can't just—_

_You need it, our schedules are different. Take it._

There's never any awkward tension, either. Sometimes there's a bit of—Holly tries to ignore it—something there, but it's never really awkward. It's just…there. They fall into a routine, and it almost leaves Holly comfortable. Sam likes to keep his things clean—Holly detects a slight case of ocd—but hates cooking and doing the dishes. So in exchange for a lovely place to stay, Holly cooks wonderful meals.

Dean has been coming up more too, Sam told her. The three of them usually have dinner together, while Holly does homework and Sam grades papers. Dean's fun to be around, Holly noticed. He's comical and witty, and the way him and Sam are is heartwarming. It's like they care so much about each other, but would rather have their teeth pulled than show it. Holly thinks it's cute.

It's a Friday night, and Holly is sitting at the kitchen table with Sam, doing work. He's grading some sort of essay he assigned—which, he now admits was way too long—and Holly's working hard to make up all of the work she's missed. Her teachers were surprisingly understanding, but Holly figures that's just because she has Sam vouching for her.

"Holly, do you have any free time later tonight? I need to ask you something." His voice breaks her out of her working trance and she blinks, thinking.

"Well, I might have had some time after work, but see, I have this lesson on Saturday mornings with this really strict teacher, and he assigned me an essay to write. And it's due tomorrow." Holly saw Sam grin, despite the seriousness in his voice a couple of minutes ago. They still did their Saturday lessons, except now it was held in his home, and they were more lenient with time. Sometimes they'd talk for an hour, and other times they'd talk for three.

"Strict, you say? Well maybe he'd be fine with just going over what you plan for the essay. Just this once." _Is this flirting? This is so flirting. But this can't be flirting. We're talking about essays. _

Holly was just about to reply with something witty—or, she was going to try—when her phone rang. She saw Sam's eyebrow raise when Wayward Son started playing, but he said nothing as she dashed for her phone, which was in the den.

"Hello?" The number wasn't recognized, but Holly shrugged. Her mood was high.

"Holly? This is Rob." And then her high mood withered away, as a sense of dread took over her body. _Of course, typical. There's never more than 5 minutes of me being genuinely happy before something happens. I should have expected this._

"Listen," he started, not waiting for a reply. "I heard from Grace that you wouldn't be coming around for a while. Maybe never again. I would have preferred a phone call, but I understand. But Holly I—I'm in a big rut. Remember that one guy I told you about from last time? He's back. And he's specifically requested you."

Holly stayed silent, sinking into one of the sofas. She didn't even notice Sam walking into the room.

"He has the power to shut down my business, if he doesn't like it," Rob continued, his voice pleading. "Please, I need you here, now. One night, I promise. I won't call or ask you for anything, ever. And if you ever need your spot back, it'll be guaranteed. Please, Holly? I'm begging you." Holly cradled the phone on her shoulder and her ear and sighed into her hands. Rob had helped her out when she didn't know what she was doing, and needed cash. She owed him something, at least.

"Alright. I'll be there in 20." Holly sighed again as she stood up, anxiety pooling in her stomach.

"Who was that?" Sam's voice was soft as he stood against the doorframe, watching Holly's tiny hands wring around themselves in panic.

"Rob," she started, out of it. "My boss." By the time the words had come out, she winced. She was supposed to have lied to him, because no one was supposed to know about this. Especially Sam.

"I thought your boss' name was Anna?" His handsome face was scrunched in confusion, and in the back of Holly's worry-filled mind, she thought about how cute it looked.

"He—he's the other boss of the—of the place. Yeah. Listen I uh…I have to go, I'll probably be back really late so don't worry. I promise I'll have the essay done, and—"

"Holly, wait. Slow down, what's going on?" Sam grew more concerned as Holly ran around the house, getting her shoes and coat.

"It's…it's nothing, Sam. Really. Don't worry. I'll be back…soon. Kind of. I don't know. Just…don't worry or anything, I'm capable of taking care of myself. It's just my old job. I owe the boss a favor. Don't worry. I'll see you later!"

And with that, she was out the door. She didn't even take her car, because Sam's house was closer to the place than her house was. It was pretty stupid of her, but she wasn't thinking straight.

* * *

><p>"Holly I missed you!" Grace pulled her into a hug the second she stepped through the door. She tried her best to smile, but nothing could bring her out of her mood. She thought she was done with this.<p>

"I missed you too, Grace. Sorry I haven't been too in touch, I'm trying to get all my school shit planned out again."

"Don't worry about it! You have my number now, yeah? Gimme a call whenever you're free! Don't forget about me!" Grace's tone was teasing and Holly nodded, forcing out a small smile.

"Holly? Thank God you're here. I really owe you, big time." Rob jogged over to them, relief spread out on his face. _At least one of us is happy…_

"You can keep all the money, like last ti—"

"I don't want any money, not anymore. This line of work isn't cut out for me. I'm doing you this favor, and that's it okay?" Holly had nothing against strippers, or anything. She just…she was too shy, too unappealing in her eyes, and too awkward.

"Thank you Holly. I won't ask again, honest. I'm going to warn you, though, don't look any of them in the eye. Especially the big boss. He has his eye on you." Rob's voice took on a warning tone, and Holly gulped. The last thing she needed was a creepy old guy on her case. Taking the advice, she changed her clothing—more like, got out of it—and went on stage.

"You did great, Holly." Grace's voice assured her as she wobbled off stage hours later, nervous and humiliated.

"Thanks, Grace…" she murmured, slipping on her jeans and tank top. It was now 8, and Holly had just enough time to get to the diner and put in her work hours. Or, maybe she'd just go back home—Holly was reluctantly beginning to call Sam's house home. She has been there for quite a few weeks now.—Anna wouldn't mind.

"Don't mention it. Rob said he wanted to see you before you left, though. Go stop by his set. And remember to give me a call or a text every once in a while!" Holly smiled and gave Grace a hug, already feeling a bit better now that she was finished.

She walked around backstage until she spotted Rob. "You wanted to see me?"

"Here," he started, handing her a hundred dollar bill. "You earned it, Holly. I know you don't like this, but you're gorgeous and people like watching you dance. I know I'm not going to convince you to stay, so I just wanted to thank you for helping me out. I hope you have a good life, Holly."

She decided not to argue with him about the money, and slipped it into her pocket. Rob was a nice guy, and she's thankful that he wasn't angry with her for leaving. She shook his hand—quite awkwardly, she could add—and turned on her heel to go.

With one last goodbye to Grace, she was out the door and into the fresh air, feeling a little better. Now, she didn't have to worry about doing this any more, and possibly seeing someone she knew. She was free from this, she thought, as she closed the door for the final time.

"Holly? Is that you?"

Luck seemed to not be on her side—when was it ever?—because out from the shadows, came Sam.

* * *

><p>I keep leaving you guys with cliff hangers. please don't hate me. XD<p>

anyway, i hope you like the chapter! This was actually all prewritten. like the past 3 chapters i've had written for a while, so,

now i'm going to have to start writing them day by day, and i might not be able to update every day like i have been,

especially since school started. I'm really sorry! But i'll keep updates as quick as possible.

Review? if you liked it, or if you're liking the story, or even if you have some constructive criticism.

I really like hearing what you guys have to say (:

Hope you have a great weekend!


	7. Chapter 7

"Holly?" Sam's voice called out again to the girl that was frozen in her spot. Holly could feel the panic clawing its way up her throat, desperately trying to find words to make Sam understand. _Understand what, Holly? You whored around for money. He's never going to look at you the same again._

"Please don't hate me." Was the only thing that came out of Holly's mouth, and it sounded so small and broken, that it tugged on Sam's heartstrings. She stood there in her flimsy tank top and jeans, and she was shivering. Holly reminded him of a lost puppy.

With a sigh, he walked closer to her, taking off his coat and draping it around her shoulders. The early November air wasn't freezing, but Holly's shoulders were bare and she was scared and really _really _cold.

"Come on, let's go." She numbly followed after him, briefly paying attention to the way he'd check over his shoulder every couple of minutes to see if she was still there. Sam opened the door for her and she sat inside tentatively; her mind focusing on some sort of excuse to say. He had a nice car, Holly mused, and it was warm. She shuddered as her cold body adjusted to the heat.

They drove in silence, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Holly chewed on her lip as she took deep breaths. Now wasn't the time, but Sam's jacket smelt of aftershave and something sweet, and she couldn't get enough.

Sam pulled into the driveway, and Holly noticed that they sat in the car for a couple of minutes. She should really say something, she ruminates, but can't find the will to speak. She feels utterly embarrassed.

"Come on now, let's get inside." Sam finally broke the silence and Holly nodded, slowly stepping out of the car and into his home. Plenty of worse things have happened to her, but there was only one thought going through her mind. _Please don't think anything less of me. Please don't hate me. _

Once inside, they both stood awkwardly by the door, and Holly realized that this was probably the most awkward encounter they've ever had. She knew it wouldn't be fair if she didn't tell him anything about this, because after all…he considered them friends.—that made the butterflies in Holly's stomach start kicking, just so you know—She knew that, and yet, she couldn't be the one to talk first. Hoping he'd get the hint, she slowly walked into the den, and sat down on the sofa.

He did.

Sam sat down right next to her, their knees bumping. He was close enough that she could feel his body heat radiating next to her own, and even though it was nice and warm in his house Holly wanted to do nothing more than curl up in his side and not talk about her problems. Sadly, that wasn't an option for her.

"Want to tell me what's up, Holly? You walked out of a strip club." She could tell by his voice that he wasn't judging her, that he was just asking. As much as she wanted to keep her eyes focused on their knees, she dragged them up to his face. She didn't want to lie anymore, lying was so tiring. She always had to keep up on her lies.

"I danced. I was a dancer at that club. It started months back, because I—my mom needed more money for medications and therapy and there was no food in the house and I didn't know what else to _do, _Sam! I didn't know what else to do." Holly's hands are moving around everywhere, something she does when she's anxious.

"I couldn't do any more hours at the diner, and school was taking up my time, and I needed money. You have this wonderful house and so much money and you don't understand but I needed it. Money was out."

Sam sat quietly, watching her speak, sadness etched onto his handsome features. Her hands were still flying about, and he knew she wasn't done.

"It was legal. It was the only legal job that was offered to me and I took it and ran with it, because I hadn't eaten in a few days at the time and my mom ran out of medicine and it was a _mess, _Sam." Her hands are on her knees and waving around and they end up covering her face, hiding herself away from Sam.

"Please don't look at me differently. I only danced. I only danced. And—And I, I was finished. But Rob, he needed me, and he helped me out so much when I had nothing and I owed him. Please don't see me differently." Sam could literally feel the heartbreak in her voice, and he wondered how much pain one tiny girl could go through before she broke. He figured she was very, very close to breaking, and he was going to do all that he could to keep her together.

Holly finished rambling, keeping herself hidden in her hands. She wanted nothing more than to fall apart and have his wonderfully large and gentle hands put her back together, but she knew what she would see when she uncovered her face.. She'd see Sam's face, and it'd be covered with disgust and hatred. _I don't want a filthy whore in my house, _he'd say. _Get out. _

At least, that's what she figured would happen. She's homeless—kind of, even though Sam told her to think of this as a home—she's basically sold herself for money, and she's just his student. Sam had no purpose to help her out. It's not like he owed her any favors.

Instead, however, she felt her hands slowly being removed from her face by his large ones. He stares at her and she stares back, holding onto the breath of air she was going to exhale. He doesn't take his hands off hers, and she's not going to pull them away. There's a silence, but it's not quite uncomfortable. Sam's eyes aren't readable, and Holly's scared, scared that she might be hated by the one person who's opinion mattered. Sam's thumbs are rubbing light circles into the palms of her hands, and Holly would give anything to close her eyes and clear her mind of everything but the feeling of tingles that shoot up from her hands, to her heart.

"You did what you had to do, Holly. I'm not looking down on you, and I don't hate you or, or whatever it is you think. I give you credit for staying strong." Sam could tell her that he's immensely baffled by her strength. He could tell her how he's both amazed and upset with her need to do things alone. He could say that he finds her extremely intriguing, but he doesn't.

Those words are enough for Holly, and before she can stop it a big, wet tear is rolling down her cheek. She pulls—reluctantly—her hands away from his and rubs her eyes before any more tears can come. She's already sobbed once in front of the poor guy.

"I'm being serious here, Holly. Don't beat yourself up over it. You're done, aren't you? It's in the past, so don't look back." Sam's voice is smooth, like slicing a knife through soft butter. It's calming, and Holly finds herself fighting sleep. She's exhausted, emotionally and physically, and the last thing she feels before she's finally out is fingers treading through her hair. But maybe she was just dreaming.

* * *

><p>Things fell back into a normal cycle after that. They hadn't spoken of that night, but Holly was feeling better about herself, knowing that Sam didn't hate her. Holly didn't know what she felt for him, but whatever it was, it kept growing. Their…tension was growing as well. Suddenly things just seem to click.<p>

Sam often catches Holly when she's in the kitchen, or in the den, and if neither of them have anywhere to be they find themselves close together, a natural progression. Sometimes he's smoothening the wrinkles from her shirt, and sometimes he stands behind her and watches her cook and his hand is on her elbow _just so_ and they talk in hushed, gentle whispers as if they're afraid to pop this peaceful bubble they've created.

It only takes a split second to start, and a split second to stop. Sometimes before Holly can blink, it's over, and she's left feeling like she's trying to swallow her own heart back down to her chest. Whatever it is they have, it leaves her content. She'd be okay with just this, whatever this is.

"Holly, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Sam's voice brings her out of her thoughts as she looks up at him, chewing on her lip. It's a Saturday night and Anna gave Holly a couple of paid days off for the Thanksgiving holiday, which was around the corner. _That woman is too good to me, I swear._

"Uh…not much, I think. My mom hates Thanksgiving—the voices tell her the Indians are after her—so usually it's just a regular day for me. Why?" She shifts on the sofa, focusing her attention onto him and not the TV. They were watching some sort of game show, and she wouldn't admit it but this is what she believed _home _would feel like.

"Well, Dean and I usually have dinner here. We invite some cousins and friends."

"Oh!" Realization dawned on Holly and she nodded, while Sam watched her curiously. "I got it, I'll stay out of your way, don't wor—"

"No, that's not what I meant." Sam watched Holly tilt her head slowly, chewing on her lip. Her hair was down, still damp from her shower, and she almost looked like a floppy-eared dog.

"What did you mean?"

"You live here too, you know. Dean and I were wondering if you—"

"SAMMY!" Dean's loud voice made Holly jump slightly in her seat, and she heard his feet heavily clunking up the stairs from the basement. He sounded like he was running. Sam rubbed his forehead and sighed as Dean plopped down on the couch, slugging an arm around Holly. She giggled.

"What do you want, Dean?"

"Someone sounds pissy. Was I interrupting something?" Dean waggled his eyebrows at his brother, and Holly grinned at how Dean was probably one of the only people who could get a rise out of Sam.

"Well, actually, I was telling Holly about how she could spend Thanksgiving with us, until you so rudely interrupted." Sam huffed, as Dean leaned forward and put his head on Holly's lap, stretching his legs onto Sam's lap.

"Sam, could you get off her I'm sure Holly doesn't—"

"Holly doesn't mind, Sammy. She's like family! Right, Holly?"

"_Holly _can speak for herself, thank you very much." She grinned, but felt a surge of affection at Dean's words. Family was something she didn't have very much of.

"But no," she continued, pulling strands of his short hair lightly, "I don't mind. I don't know how comfortable I am but you're free to nap." Dean grinned and stuck his tongue out at Sam, who actually looked upset.

_Maybe he doesn't like me as much as I think he does. He's just being a good person and giving me a place to stay. And even though he called me his friend, he was probably just being nice._ Holly's heart sunk at the realization. She stayed quiet while Sam and Dean bickered playfully.

"Holly? What do you think?"

"Uh…" Shit. "Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention." Sam eyed her curiously, and Dean just grinned.

"She's too busy staring at my sexy face."

"I said," Sam started, ignoring Dean—which made him pout.—"would you like to stay for Thanksgiving dinner with us?"

"Sam, Sam, Sam," Dean started in a chiding voice, not giving Holly time to answer. "You don't _ask _her, you _tell_ her. Holly is being part of our Thanksgiving tradition, and I won't take no for an answer. This is non-negotiable."

Holly just grinned a little, trying to drown out the slight dullness in her chest. So what if Sam didn't like her? She didn't care. Nope. Not at all. Not even a little. _Who are you trying to fool?_

"Well, I can't say no to that, can I? Thanks, guys. I'd love to join you. If…you know…it's okay." Her eyes flicker to Sam's for a moment before looking away.

"Of course it's okay, Holly. We invited you." Sam spoke up now, confusion clouding his eyes almost as if he knew something were on her mind. Which is funny, because they've really only known each other for three months, and yet, it feels so much longer. For Holly, at least.

"Really off topic, guys, but Holly you have great legs to lay on."

"Don't you have a girlfriend to pester, Dean?" Sam's voice was irritated, and…jealous?

_Am I hearing things right? Does he actually sound…jealous? No way, that's completely absurd. I'm just hearing things._

"She's mad at me because I called her out on something that she said." For a minute, Dean looks serious. Then a pout forms on his lips. "NOW I DON'T GET ANY SEX." Sam rolls his eyes and Holly pats Dean fondly on the head.

"You poor, unfortunate thing. How will you live?"

"Well, Holly, you know we could always—"

"Dean if you don't get off my couch in three seconds I'm going to punch you in the balls." Holly's pretty sure this is the first time she's ever heard Sam talk like that and it makes her laugh out loud. She notices the pleased look on Sam's face, and smiles shyly to herself. _Really, Holly? What's fucking next, twirling your hair?_

Dean actually looks semi-fearful, and flies off the couch in record speed. "After last time, I take you seriously. Man, Holly and I were having a moment. WAY TO COCKBLOCK DUDE." Holly just laughed as Dean went back to the basement, mumbling about beer.

"I'm sorry about Dean," Sam sighed, rubbing his forehead. "When he has girlfriend troubles he usually jokes around and becomes really annoying."

"Sorry? Don't be! It was kind of funny. I hope he's okay, though. That's his defense mechanism kicking in. Instead of being upset, he laughs."

"What's yours?"

"What?" Holly blinks, tilting her head. Suddenly Sam is a little closer than he was before, and she's breathing a little harder than she was before, and Holly's highly aware of the nimble fingers that are smoothening the wrinkles of her sleeve.

"What's your defense mechanism? I know you have one. In fact, I might be able to guess." He leaned in, watching her intently. Holly was chewing on her lip, keeping her eyes downcast.

She could tell him that she was great at avoiding things. That when things got too hard or too weird, she simply avoiding that person or thing like the plague. She could say that her defense was to shut down, to empty the life in her eyes and to wipe the smile off her lips until she couldn't feel a damn thing.

"Really? Guess, then. I don't have a defense mechanism." There it was. Avoidance.

Before Sam had a chance to answer, Holly's phone was ringing. It seemed to ring every time they were caught in some sort of…moment? Or whatever it was they were having, Holly couldn't tell anymore. Holly didn't know when to be grateful for the fact that it got her out of talking, or upset that it ruined their little...whatever it was.

"Hello?"

"Holly! It's Grace, hi!" Holly heard the happy voice from the other end of the phone and smiled brightly, leaning against the sofa. Sam sat back as well, watching her.

"Grace! It's nice to hear from you. What's up?"

"I was wondering, I have off tomorrow night, want to go out for some food? Catch up a bit? If you're not busy."

Holly felt a sadness clutch at her stomach as she bit her lip, thinking.

"Grace, I'm really sorry. I promised I'd make pizza here tomorrow, we were going to have a pizza night."

"I'm jealous! You sound like you're having fun." Grace's tone was light and fun, but Holly still felt bad. She really did want to catch up with the girl.

"Who is it? A friend?" Sam's voice was close to Holly's ear and she jolted upright, holding back a shudder as she felt a warm puff of air escape his lips creep onto her skin.

"One—one second, Grace," she started, putting the hand over the phone. "Yeah, it's my friend Grace. She wanted to go out for dinner and drinks tomorrow, or something."

"Don't worry, Holly. If you want to go out with your friend, you can. We can have pizza some other night."

Holly sat, contemplating. She wanted so badly to stay with Sam and Dean, but she somehow missed the company of her new friend.

"It's okay, I'm really in the mood for making pizza."

"Well, how about you invite her over? I'm sure Dean won't mind, and I surely don't. Invite her for pizza."

Holly's eyes lit up and Sam chuckled softly, the sound filling Holly's ears with a pleasant ringing.

"You sure? Really? Really, really?"

"Mhm. Now get back to your phone call, that poor girl is waiting."

_Woops. I forgot about that. _"Grace? Come for dinner! Sam doesn't mind. And I'd love to see you."

Grace squealed on the other end of the line, and Holly laughed, feeling better than she had in a while. "I'd love to come!"

Holly gave over the address and a time, and they hung up, both smiling. She looked over to Sam who was looking quite pleased with himself.

"It really means a lot that you'd let her come over."

"Any friend of Holly's is a friend of mine. Maybe." Holly just grinned and nudged his shoulder.

"You'll love her, I swear. And so will Dean."

"Dean loves anything that's female."

Downstairs, Dean sneezed.

* * *

><p>Aw hi C: I tried not to leave you off with an awkward cliffhanger again LOL.<p>

aw Dean, i love Dean.

I'm trying to make him appear a little bit more, he's a joy to write (':

Anyway, I'm hoping you liked the chapter! Reviews make me really, really happy. And they make me write faster. c:

But yeah. I hope you enjoyed, and that you stay around for the next chapter C:

(Which I'm still in the process of writing. So hopefully it'll be up for tomorrow or monday)

Anyway, Hope your Saturday's going good!


	8. Chapter 8

"So, you're saying you've never listened to ACDC?" Dean was staring at Grace, with his mouth wide open as she nonchalantly ate her pizza, as if she hadn't committed a crime—well, Dean insisted it was a crime.—

Holly was busy making more pizza in the kitchen with Sam, who was clumsily trying to keep up. He wasn't much of a cook, but he'd rather be cooking than listening to Dean rant about music. Besides his car, music was the other thing he was extremely passionate about.

It was Sunday night, and like they promised, Grace was over having pizza. She fit in surprisingly well with the brothers, and Holly was thrilled.

"I don't listen to much music, sorry. Holly help me out here, this kid looks like he wants to kill me."

"I'M FRIGGIN' THREE YEARS OLDER THAN YOU." Grace just grinned at him as Dean stuck his tongue out at her. Holly let out a full-blown laugh as she carried more pizza into the room, setting it on the table. Dean dug in hungrily.

Sam looked thoroughly pleased that someone had the power to get under Dean's skin, and he smirked, watching the two interact.

"He's really liking her, I think." Sam and Holly were back in the kitchen after dinner, with Sam helping put things away, and Holly cleaning the counter of the pizza ingredients. She grinned.

"Why do you say that?"

"He never shows anyone his record collections. He barely even touches them himself." Sam noted, as they watched Dean make Grace listen to some music.

"Knowing him, he'll like her even more after he knows she's a stripper." Sam laughed a rare, full laugh at that and it made Holly's toes curl with pleasure. _She _caused him to laugh.

The four of them sat around in the dean watching tv and eating ice-cream for dessert, sharing comical stories and other things.

"And then this one time in high school, Sam got drunk and came home dressed up as a girl. I think he just likes wearing drag."

"_Really_, Dean? Going to go there? Do you even want me to get started on the shit you've done when you were drunk?"

Holly and Grace shared a sofa, laughing as the scene unfolded. The brothers teased and argued for a little bit longer before Grace interjected, talking about something else. Holly realized that this was probably the most she's seen of a casual Sam. Sure, she's been living with him and he doesn't wear 'professor' clothing at home, but she's never heard stories about him getting drunk, and she's never seen him smirking. It was endearing, and she was drinking it all in.

"Anyway, Grace, what do you do?"

Grace looked over to Holly, almost as if asking if they knew. Holly threw a nod over to Sam, indicating that he did. Grace grinned and shrugged.

"Well, I work at a daycare for little kids during the day, and I'm a stripper at night."

Dean choked on his breath as Holly, Grace, and Sam stifled their laughter. Needless to say, he was quite interested. The conversations continued until late night, when their voices were spent and hoarse, and their curiosity filled. Holly learned that Sam has a longer sort of haircut because one time, Dean cut his hair when they were kids and completely ruined it, and he never wanted that to happen again. She learned that Grace loves kids, hence the daycare job, and that Dean has an obsession with his car.

"Grace and I are getting married. That's just how it's going to be."

"Actually, Dean, I'm not the commitment type of person. You'll have to try a lot harder than that." She grinned, patting him on the head before standing up. They'd been joking around the whole night, and Holly and Sam had reverted their attention to the TV, used to the flirting and jokes.

"Anyway guys, I have to go. I have work in the morning. Thanks for having me over, I had a really great time!" Grace gave each of them hugs, smiling brightly.

"I'll walk you out." Holly smiled back, standing up and walking her friend to the door.

"Thanks again, Holly. I had a lot more fun then I thought possible."

"Yeah, you and Dean hit it off well." Holly grinned, nudging the girl. Grace just rolled her eyes.

"He's cute, yeah. Well ok, really, really fucking attractive. But we were only kidding around. You and Sam, on the other hand…God Holly that sexual tension can be cut with a knife."

"SSSHHHHH, that's such a lie there's no such thing!" Holly's face was red as she stood with Grace at the door, unlocking it.

"I'm just saying, if he makes you happy, go for it. He's only what, 4 years older? So what if he's your teacher, you guys could have like those rolepl—"

"ALRIGHT GRACE, THANKS FOR COMING. I'LL TEXT YOU."

Grace just laughed and hugged Holly before walking out the door with a grin.

"She was hot." Dean said, the second Holly walked back into the den.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"I can appreciate the curvaceous backside of a lovely woman if I want to! IT'S JUST APPRECIATION. Besides, Carla and I aren't working anymore."

Sam actually looked interested for a second and Holly sat by Dean with a frown.

"I'm sorry Dean."

"YOU CAN HUG ME AND I'LL BE OKAY AGAIN."

Holly laughed and pulled the older Winchester into a hug, patting his head.

"Maybe you could…I dunno…get me a date with Grace. Or something. OH JUST TELL ME WHERE SHE WORKS. EVEN BETTER."

"Dean, you're pestering Holly." Sam, who was quiet for the whole time, finally spoke up, annoyance in his eyes.

"You can't hurt Grace. She's a good friend of mine, Dean. You hurt here and I'll kick you in the balls."

"Yeesh, you girls are like wolves. I just want a little date…" Dean mumbled, a pout on his face. Sam was still pouting in the corner because they ignored him, and Holly just sat there, face stoic. Living in a house with two guys was like living with 4 year olds.

"All I'm saying, is you still have a girlfriend. Don't do something you'd regret. And Sam, stop pouting." With a wink, Holly stood and left the two boys, going into her bedroom. She was beat, and these guys weren't making anything easier. She fell asleep with a grin, though.

* * *

><p>Thanksgiving day went by quickly, and soon, Holly and Sam found themselves on the couch, about to burst from the amount of food they ate. The guests were gone—Holly was thankful, there was this one annoying guy who kept trying to grab her ass—and Dean was passed out on the recliner, snoring loudly.<p>

"I'm so full…I feel like I'm going to explode…" Holly was groaning, clutching her stomach while Sam just laughed.

"It's not showing, you'll live." He grinned as Holly stood, patting her belly as if it'd grown in the last couple of hours.

"Is it bad that I kind of want some more pie, though…?"

"Nah, I'm actually kind of considering some. Come on, let's split a piece."

Holly groaned, but let Sam pull her up by her hands and drag her into the kitchen.

"I don't know if I can! What if I throw up all over your floor?"

"We'll make Dean clean it."

Holly snorts and Sam grins, and suddenly their eyes are locked and that _tension_ is back and Holly feels her heart beating faster until they hear Dean let out a particularly loud snore from the den, and they're both laughing again, eyes elsewhere.

Sam cuts a slice of blueberry pie and warms it up before putting it on the counter and taking a seat across from Holly.

"So, have you finished your essay? The semester is ending really soon." Professor Sam was back in business, and Holly cringed.

"Uh, no. I'm a little bit stuck. Please don't fail me."

Sam just laughed, scooping a blueberry onto his fork. Holly preferred the crust, and he preferred the inside, so it worked well.

"I'm not going to fail you, Holly. You're doing really well, actually. You have a B+. If you do well on the essay and final exam, you could easily get an A. Show me what you're stuck on, maybe I can help."

"Oh?" Holly started, grinning. "Isn't that cheating, Dr. Winchester?"

"It's not cheating if no one else knows." This time it was Holly's turn to laugh, and she missed the pleased look on Sam's face as she did so.

"But I really can't believe the semester is ending already…" Holly trailed off, putting her fork down. She had some questions to ask about her stay, but she didn't know how to bring them up. She wrung her hands, her nervous habit.

"What's on your mind, Holly?" All traces of joking was gone from his voice, and all that was left was curiosity and concern.

"Well…I mean…I should be leaving soon. I told myself I'd only stay a week. And I've been here for a long time. I just feel really—"

"Holly, you're not a guest here anymore. You're a roommate. Besides, it's not like we mind having you. In fact, Dean loves you." Sam rolled his eyes, but there was amusement in his voice. "He's more of a 'tough guy' around people. But he acts like he does around me, around you. You're not a burden to us, I hope you know. We really enjoy your company, you make things fun around here."

Holly stared intently at the pie, nibbling on her lip. She honestly didn't know what to say to that, so she kept quiet.

"So really, you're welcome to stay for as long as you need. Even if that's a long time."

"Thanks, Sam. That—It means a lot. I never had anything like this, before. My dad died when I was very young, so it was always just my mom and I. And then, she started going crazy, so it was really just me, alone at home. Being with people…it…it's nice." Her voice was a soft murmur, and she watched Sam's hands hold onto the fork, wanting them to be holding her hands instead. _Whoa, okay, calm your hormones Holly. This is like a family moment. Don't let his attractiveness ruin it._

"That must've been tough. My mom died when I was young, too. But I always had Dean, even when my dad wasn't around much. But just so you know, Holly, you have Dean—" he paused as if he had more to say, but didn't know if he wanted to continue. "—and, you know, you have me. If you need us, so don't feel so alone anymore."

Holly simply nodded and sent him a beautifully honest smile, hoping that he got all of her silent thanks. Thankfully, Sam's gotten pretty good at reading the short girl, and he understood perfectly what she was trying to say. Their eyes locked once more, and Sam wanted nothing more than to stare into her blue ones and find out all her little secrets. He wanted to know what made her tick, and what made her giggle. He wanted to see just how broken he was, and if he could put her back together.

"I should really get to bed. I—I uh, there's work tomorrow, and I still have to finish my essay. Goodnight, Sam." Holly stood up, her seat scraping lightly at the floor. She smiled at him once more before turning around on her heel and rushing up the stairs, her heard pounding in her ears.

_What the hell was with that look? He was staring at me like he was watching me soul. That was totally unnerving. _

And yet, Holly didn't mind all that much. She loved looking at his hazel eyes, with the flecks of green and blue in them. They were the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.

If Holly goes to sleep and dreams of sparling jewels, and Sam goes to sleep and dreams of a clear ocean that smells like something sweet, well, it's not their faults.

* * *

><p>Hey guys! (:<p>

It's 1 am and I have school tomorrow(today? xD) but i felt like i had to finish the chapter, because I really wanted to. LOL.

It's just a little bit of a filler, I really wanted to get Grace and Dean in there c:

I hope it's not too sloppy, i'm a little tired LOL but i tried my best, and I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 9 isn't even started yet, but reviews make me write with more energy ;D ;D ;D

if you liked it, do drop a review, or even just message me and say hello

i promise i'm friendly C:

anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Hopefully chapter 9 will be up by tomorrow or wednesday.

Hopefully.

Have a great week, guys! even though mondays suck ): xx


	9. Chapter 9

The end of the first semester came around quicker than Holly expected, but she was grateful. Before she knows it, Holly's made straight A's—minus that god damned chemistry course she took. It was a stupid move. But she's happy with her B.— Sam's delighted as well. After long hours of testing and essays, he watched her pull through and was proud as he graded her papers.

Now that school was let out for a few weeks, Holly had time to work a little more without Sam flipping out. Christmas was coming, after all. She needed to get people gifts.

"Holly?" A knock at her door brought her out of her jumbled thoughts, and she looked up from her computer and noticed Sam. He was a little uncomfortable about being in her room—oh God, what if I walk in and she's not wearing clothes?—but he did his best to stay stoic.

"Can we talk?"

"What's wrong?" Holly was trying to keep the panic out of her voice as he walked over, sitting on the single seater by her desk. He smiled lightly, trying to reassure her.

"Nothing's wrong, Holly. Why do you always assume something would be wrong?"

"Because everything goes wrong eventually."

Sam looked like he wanted to say something, but Holly cut him off. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well," he started, looking around the room. She hadn't really changed much to fit her liking; just left everything the same. Sam kind of wanted her to make the room her own. There was, however, a delicious scent in the room that he couldn't quite name; it was probably her shampoo. He took a deeper breath unconsciously. "What would you like for Christmas?"

"Are you joking? No, no, no, no don't get me anything! Are you crazy?"

"Holly, this is Christmas. Of course I'm going to get you something."

"You've already given me a place to stay. That is more than enough. I don't need anything for Christmas, honestly."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he acquired from Holly—which she found really, really cute—and sighed. He should have expected this.

"You're getting something for Dean and I, I'm sure."

"But that…that's different!"

"Is it really?" He was grinning, and he leaned forward in his seat, watching Holly with amused eyes. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Y-yeah! I owe you guys…"

"Well, you've given us lovely company, and wonderful food. We owe you too."

Holly pouted while Sam laughed, proud of himself for stumping the girl. "Honestly, I wish you weren't so down about being here. I don't know how else to tell you we don't mind."

"I _know_ you don't mind, and don't get me wrong…living here has probably been the best time of my life, but I feel bad. I don't even get to buy groceries!"

"If I let you buy groceries, will you treat this more like home?"

Holly squirmed. She honestly wanted to, wanted to so bad. But sooner or later things would change, and Sam would realize that she was just some annoying girl, and he'd want her out. She didn't want to open her heart for another family, just for it to be broken again.

"I'll try. It makes it seem more like home, anyway! Because, I just feel like…like I'm not doing enough. If that makes sense."

"Like you don't get to put your weight in?"

"YES! Exactly!" Her smile was big, and she was glad he understood her. Sam just chuckled and shook his head.

"You're an odd one, Holly. But all right. You can buy groceries. But I'm buying you a Christmas gift. And you better tell me what you want, or I'll buy you socks or something."

"Socks are always useful…" she mumbled, but smiled when she saw him roll his eyes. Holly didn't know what it was about this guy that attracted her so much. Well, of course, he was drop dead gorgeous. And he's also probably the greatest guy she's ever met. Well okay, maybe she did know. _Hey…technically, he's not my teacher anymore. Heh._

"Think about it though, please? I want to get you something you'd like."

"Make me something!" She smiled at the confused expression on his face.

"Make you something?" His voice was confused, and even a little bit worried. What the hell was he supposed to make?

"You know, like…something handmade! I don't need to have a lot of money spent on me."

"You really are something, Holly." He chuckled, getting up and stretching his legs. Holly felt her face warm up as she looked away, staring intently at her crème colored walls. "I'll see what I can do." This time Holly smiled at his words, her body tingling with happiness.

"WAIT, WAIT! What do you want?"

"Make me something." He grinned, walking out of her room and closing the door with a soft click.

* * *

><p>"Hi, mom. How are you?"<p>

It was a chilly Wednesday afternoon, and Holly was bundled up in a blanket on the sofa, watching TV. She figured she could call her mom and make sure things were okay. She missed her.

"Holly? Is that you?"

"Mm. It's me."

"Okay. Things are going good here, baby. I've been taking my medicine like you've asked."

Holly felt a surge of affection for her mother at the words, and her eyes burned with unshed, happy tears. Getting her mother to actually _stay_ on her medication was always difficult. But she sounded okay right now.

"I'm so happy, mom. Really, I am. Are we spending Christmas day together? It's coming up soon. I could take a ride down, and take you out for dinner."

"Christmas is here already? Of course we'll spend it together, sweetie. If you don't have anything else to do."

Holly's thoughts flickered over to Sam and Dean, who invited her along to their relative's house for dinner for Christmas. She'd be with them later on at night, because her mom liked being with some of the friends she's managed to make at the home, who didn't have anyone else. Holly smiled to herself; her mother was still her mother, no matter what was going on in her mind.

"There's nothing I'd rather do, mom. We'll go to that diner you like?"

"No, Holly. We can't go there. Evil lives there now." Her mom's words were deathly serious, and Holly felt a painful squeeze on her heart.

"Alright, then we'll pick a place on the way. Don't worry about a thing, it's going to be perfect."

"Holly?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"I miss you."

She smiled briefly at the words, closing her eyes. Sometimes she wished that she had a mom that she could hug at any time, and watch movies with after school, or just hang out with at home. But she wouldn't trade her mother for the world.

"I miss you too mom. I'll see you in a week or so."

She hung up, feeling happier than she had earlier. Her mother was taking her medications so violent outbursts weren't likely, and she managed to have a mostly normal conversation with her. Things were looking okay.

"Was that your mom?" Dean popped into the den, smirking when he saw Holly. "You look like a potato wrapped up in that thing."

"Shut up," she grinned, "and yeah, it was. I'm going to go see her for Christmas."

Dean nodded, staying sort of silent for a few moments. "So, uh, she's…sick?"

"Oh, Sam didn't tell you?" Dean shook his head, and Holly felt a smile creep onto her lips. He kept her personal life a secret, even from his own brother. _That was nice of him_

"She's a severe schizophrenic, among other things. That's kind of the reason I'm here, something told her that our house was evil, and well, she ruined it. Tore it to bits. She stays in a mental home where they can keep good watch on her."

"Hey. Holly I'm so—"

"Don't say sorry. Sorry isn't a word for the macho Dean Winchester." She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, schizoid or not, she's my mom and I love her." Her and Dean shared a moment of comfortable silence as he sat down, before she spoke again.

"What are you getting Sam for Christmas?"

"Hey, don't go idea stealing!"

"I'm not, you bum! I just wanted to know!"

Dean laughed, nudging her. "I kid, I kid. I'm getting him a couple of books that he really wanted, and some stuff for his car." He shrugged. "We've already had a sappy gift giving Christmas, and we vowed never again. It was awkward as fuck."

Holly snorted. "Of course it was. I'm going to go shopping now, actually. Do you want anything for Christmas, Dean? Even if you say no I'm getting you something."

"You could get me a date with Grace. Or a stripper. …Preferably Grace."

"Are you seriously hung up on Grace? That's cute, Dean." Holly was smiling, and her voice wasn't teasing at all. She was honestly pleased. Dean, however, rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"I just want to hang out, she seems cool."

"Mhm...well I'll see what I can do. I'll be back soon!" Holly got out of her warm blankets and put on some shoes and a coat, and got into her car. About 20 minutes of traffic and loud singing in the car, she managed to get to the mall.

_Alright…if I were a 29 year old teacher, what would I want…_

_Maybe I could get him a tie? Oh my God no that's dumb. What about—no, Dean's already getting him books. I HATE SHOPPING FOR MEN._

Holly wasn't aware that she was mumbling to herself as well, and that people were starting to stare. With a huff, she went up the escalator and just started looking around, hoping something would catch her eye. She could still make him something—OH I COULD KNIT HIM A SCARF—but she wanted to actually _get_ him something, too.

An hour later and she had a present for Dean. First, she got him an ACDC signed collectors edition record from a small record store. And she also managed to get him a date with Grace—who agreed without any sort of issues there.—

Holly felt utterly defeated, however, because there was nothing for Sam. She even got her mom a nice, cozy sweater, and Grace a simple but pretty necklace. She was just about to leave the mall, when something caught her eye.

There, in one of the store windows, was a little statue sort of thing. They had animated-like features; the big doe eyes, and the slightly large heads. They were adorable. There was one, however, that really stuck out to her. It was a boy sitting with a girl at a table. They both had coffee cups, and books were spread out all over the table. The boy was hunched over slightly, and he had his hand pointing to something while the girl looked on, almost as if he were teaching her.

Holly felt her heart melt as she looked at it, realized how much it reminded her of the times her and Sam had lessons in the coffee shop. Without hesitation, she walked into the shop and was greeted with an old, cozy sort of scent. The type you get when you walk into a library.

"Hello, how may I help you?" An older woman looked at her with a kind smile, which Holly returned.

"I'd like to buy that little figure!" She walked to woman over and pointed, noticing the woman smile.

"Of course! That's the display model. Come on the to cash register, and we have them boxed and ready."

They walked quietly, and while Holly paid, the nice woman even wrapped it with Christmas paper for her.

"For your boyfriend?" She smiled, and Holly nearly dropped her things.

"No, no, no! He's just my friend, and uh…a tutor, you could say. It just reminded me of lessons."

The woman gave her a knowing look, but said no more. Holly felt her ears burn with embarrassment, and a little bit of sadness as she said thank you and walked out of the shop and into her car. _Sam and I are going to be friends. That's all. There's nothing to be upset about, Holly. You're not expecting anything more._

She was pleased, though, that she managed to get her shopping done. And she was a little bit more than pleased at Sam's gift; it was perfect.

"Welcome back." Sam was done with the work he was doing in his room, and was now in the den, watching TV. He noticed her come inside with cheeks flushed from the cold, and bags in her hands. "What'd you get?"

"You'll have to wait until Christmas to find out!" She grinned before rushing upstairs to hide everything before Sam or Dean had a chance to pester her. Holly changed into some pajama pants and a teeshirt, before returning downstairs and plopping onto the sofa next to Sam. Dean was probably downstairs or at some bar, and Holly shrugged into herself, still cold from the outside.

"It's cold out?" Sam broke the silence, looking over at her lightly shivering form for a second.

"Mm. What're we watching?"

"The office." Holly grinned at that and leaned back into the seat, getting comfortable. She loved this show.

"C'mere." Holly blinked at looked over at Sam, who had his eyes focused on the TV.

"What?"

"You're cold, aren't you?" He started, holding up the blanket he had draped over himself. It was a big blanket, and could easily fit two. Especially since Holly was so tiny. "I have a blanket."

She shyly scooted her way closer to him on the couch, holding onto her breath as he wrapped the free half of the blanket around her small frame. Her arm was brushed against his, and she relished in how warm he was. Subconsciously, she leaned against him.

They spent the next hours wrapped up together, laughing at the office, and at each other, until they both grew tired enough to just fall asleep. By the time Dean got home, Sam had his arm around Holly, and her head was nestled into the crook of his arm. Dean—thought he won't admit this now—didn't have the heart to wake them up.

…He did, however, take some lovely blackmail shots for later use. With a grin he retreated back into the basement, leaving the two of them asleep on the couch, 'The Office' playing softly in the background.

* * *

><p>Aw guys I'm really glad to have finished this by tonight. I worked hard on getting it done(:<p>

I like updating every day, it just feels nice and consistant.

Sadly, my homework load is going to be getting larger, but I'll still be aiming to get a chapter in every night, or every other night.

Anyway, I had fun writing this one (:

I hope you guys like it!

If you did, a review would be wonderful. I'd love to know what you guys think!

Hope you enjoyed, though c: I'll try to have chapter 10 up for tomorrow night, but no promises D: hopefully it'll be possible, though.

Anyway, have a great night guys! Hope your tomorrow goes well(:

And remember you can always drop me a message if you want to talk! xx


	10. Chapter 10

Christmas came around very soon, as expected. It was 12 PM, and Holly was getting ready to spend a day with her mother. At least, most of the day. Then she'd come back and open gifts with the boys, possibly have some more dessert—if she wasn't stuffed with food already.—

Holly actually took the time to find something nice to wear. She even bought herself a couple of new things. Her honey blonde hair was down and straightened; fringe tickling her forehead. She went for a more sophisticated sort of look, opting for a dress rather than jeans.

Holly wore a little black dress, made with some sort of satin-y fabric that was silky to the touch. There was a little thin white sash of fabric under the chest, which matched her white heels. She wore feathery earrings, and carried a tiny black purse for her cellphone and wallet. Her makeup was light; just a touch of red on her lips and a light coat of mascara to her lashes. (If any of you curious beings would like to see her outfit, you can click this link. ?pic=rmmk1s&s=7 ) Compared to her usual jeans and tank top, with no makeup and her hair up, Holly looked like a whole new person.

She grabbed her mother's present and walked down the stairs, heels clinking deafeningly loud in the almost silent house. Holly heard Sam and Dean murmuring from the kitchen, and nervously—what if I look funny?—walked into the room.

"Damn Holly, you clean up nice." Dean whistled from his seat at the table. The compliment caused Holly's ears to turn a little red, but thankfully it went unnoticed because of her long hair. She just rolled her eyes and then timidly shifted them to Sam, who hadn't said a thing. They had a brief moment of awkward eye contact—and silence—before Dean cleared his throat, causing Sam to blink out of his stupor.

"Dean's right, you do look really beautiful, Holly."

Dean made a gagging noise before returning to the comic he was reading, but there was a smile on his lips.

"Thank you…" Holly felt unnecessarily shy for some reason, and she mentally slapped herself. _Pull yourself together! _She tugged on the hem of her short dress uncomfortably, wondering why she let Grace talk her into this one.

The guys also looked rather handsome, decked out in nice pants, a crisp white shirt, and ties. Holly thought it was comical that they both had black pants and a white shirt, with Sam wearing a red tie and Dean, green.

"Did you guys Christmas coordinate your ties?" She smirked, watching the boys grimace.

"Our aunt likes us to wear matching stuff…and she bought us these ties and won't let us in unless we wear them."

Holly let out a snort of laughter and the easy air was back as they fell into their normal conversations.

"I have to go now, my mom's expecting my at 12:30. I'll see you guys at 7?"

"Sounds good, we should be home."

"AND THEN WE EXCHANGE PRESENTS."

"Yes Dean, then we'll exchange presents." Holly grinned, and said her goodbyes to the boys. She was actually looking forward to the time with her mother. Hopefully, she'd been taking her medicine.

It was a 10-minute drive, and Holly got there at 12:20. Walking into the home, she smiled politely at the people behind the desk. They were all actually nice, which really reassured her about having her mother here.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Mrs. Richards? We're leaving for 12:30, and coming back for 6:30." She made reservations at a nice restaurant—that her mother approved of, convinced there were no monsters.—

"Holly?" Sarah walked up to her daughter, and she smiled. Holly's mom was wearing a pair of black dress pants, and a beautiful blue beaded shirt.

"Mom, you look wonderful!" And of course Holly noticed the almost normal look in her eye as well. She looked like she did when Holly was a kid. _She's been taking her medicine. _

"Me? Holly, you look gorgeous. I can't believe my baby girl's so grown up." She looked like she wanted to continue, but Holly rushed her out and into the car, embarrassed by the looks they were getting. She felt sort of bad too, for the people who didn't really have anyone.

Holly and her mother spent the day together, much to their delight. The afternoon was spent drinking hot chocolate and visiting places they haven't seen before. Sure, most things were closed, but the outside was always open. It was cold, but it wasn't snowing yet. Pictures were taken and they walked until Holly's bare legs were numb.

5:30 rolled around quicker than expected, and they made their way to the fancy sort of restaurant, sitting down with a polite thank you to the waiter.

"So, Holly, how have you been?"

"I've been really good, mom. Really, really good. I didn't get anything lower than a B this semester, and I'm on my way to finally getting my degree."

Her mother's eyes were a little bit glossy as she smiled. "I'm so, so proud of you honey. You're everything I couldn't be."

"Mom, don't say that, I lear—"

"Where have you been?"

Holly's heart sunk. She prayed that her mother wasn't going into one of her moments.

"I—what do you mean?"

"Where have you been staying? You aren't at the house, are you?"

Air rushed into her lungs and she could breathe again. _She's still okay. _"I've been staying with my friends, Sam and Dean."

"Sam and Dean? Boys?" Her mother looked slightly alarmed, and it really shouldn't have, but it almost warmed her heart.

"Yeah, but mom they're nothing bad, I swear. I'd be able to tell if they were…evil. I learned from you who was good or bad. I promise they're good—great, even—guys."

Sarah seemed calmed by this, and they continued to eat with peaceful conversation. Holly learned that her mother had many friends where she was. And she knew why she was there…she knew that there was something in her head that wasn't _right_ but she didn't know what to do, or how to fix it. It told her things, threats about Holly.

"_And I had to listen, Holly. I had to make SURE you were okay. You're the only thing I have left, Holly. I can't let anything happen to you. They blamed me for dad's death. And when they would bring you up, I—I'd do anything. I'm sorry, Holly."_

It pulled at Holly's heart and she told her mother as long as she took her medicine, like she has been, that things would be all right. Holly also learned that her mother really didn't hate it there; almost kind of liked it. Things were strict, people screamed sometimes, there _were_ horrible sights—don't get me wrong, it was no picnic—but Sarah had people who _understood._ Sometimes, that's all you needed.

"I want to meet them."

"What?"

Holly and Sarah were now in the car. It was just about 7, and they were driving back to Sarah's "home."

"Your friends. The ones you're staying with. I was to meet them."

"Oh! Yeah, of course. You'll love them. We'll all meet up one day soon."

"I'd like that."

"I'll walk you in." They smiled briefly at each other as they got out of the car. It might have been a little childish, but she didn't want to leave her mother just yet. Her eyes had a light burning sensation, and she wondered why she was so emotional.

"I had a great time, Holly. Thank you for spending today with me."

"Of course, mom. It's Christmas, that's a family holiday."

Her mother smiled sadly. "I haven't been that great of a family member."

Holly stayed silent as they walked into her mother's room. The workers behind the desk actually let her go back into the rooms with her mother. She was grateful.

"Oh! Mom I almost forgot!" She pulled a small gift-wrapped box out of her purse, and gave it to her mother. "Merry Christmas."

"Holly, you didn't have to—"

"I wanted to, mom. I saw this and thought about you."

Her mother pulled out a soft, cashmere sweater from the box and unfolded it, watching the smooth material fall out in waves. It was a beautiful green color, like her eyes, and she licked her suddenly dry lips.

"It's beautiful, Holly. I wanted a sweater like this. Thank you." Her mother pulled her into a hug, and suddenly Holly forgot everything. She forgot her father's death, and her mother's spiral downward, and her lost childhood. She forgot the way she had to mature quickly at age 8, and learn how to take care of the house and cook. The only thing that she could see was herself as a little girl, crawling into bed with her mom and dad after a nightmare.

She never wanted to let go of her mother.

"I painted you a picture." The childish shyness in her mother's voice made her smile softly; reality seeping back in.

"Can I see it?"

Her mother took her to the corner of the room where a canvas sat, and she uncovered it. A beautiful face stared back at her, through big, blue eyes and thick lashes. Blonde hair fell in waves over the girl's shoulders, and her cheeks were a light pink. Set among perfect features was a pair of soft red tinted lips—Holly's favorite shade—and with a starling realization, she realized that beautiful face staring at her, was supposed to be her own. _Is this how she really sees me? _

"Do—do you like it? I painted it just for you, Holly. Everything is for you." The need for acceptance was back in her voice, and Holly saw the nurses at the door with her medication.

"It's beautiful, mom. I love it more than anything. I knew you could paint, but this is beautiful. It's my favorite." The calm look on her mother's face was heartwarming, and she pulled her into a hug as her mom got the painting off the canvas.

"It's not a sweater, but it's for you to keep."

"Are you sure, mom? I don't want to take anyt—"

"You're the subject of all my paintings. I can always make another one, so take it. Merry Christmas, Holly."

With one last—slightly tearful—goodbye, Holly was on her way driving home, with promises to see her mother more often going through her head. The painting was seated gingerly on the passenger's side, and at a red light Holly took a closer look at it, noticing it was down with watercolors. It was stunning. _It must have been awkward when she saw me; that picture is far more beautiful._

"Guys? I'm home!" Unlocking the door, Holly made her way into the dark house. _I guess they're not home…_

"Merry Christmas!" Suddenly, the room was lit with mini Christmas lights spiraling up the banisters and around the walls. The tree in the den was blinking all sorts of colors, and the presents under the tree looked wonderful.

Holly was engulfed into a hug between the two brothers, and she gasped for air a little dramatically. "Did you guys miss me that much?"

"You don't understand how boring that was. We had to watch old people play chess, and snore." The squeezed her tighter and Holly huffed, pushing them off teasingly.

"Don't squish the girl carrying artwork, here!"

"What is that, Holly?" Sam spoke up, eyeing the back of the canvas curiously. Holly just grinned.

"My mom painted me a picture." She turned it around and watched their eyes widen; it really was magnificent. Dean let out a low whistle of approval, and Holly laughed.

" It looks just like you, Holly." Holly's face flushed at Sam's words. _There's no way. Are these people looking at me right? _

"Yeah, I'm sure."

The brothers _both _looked like they wanted to question the sarcasm, but Holly cut them off.

"I'm going to go drop my stuff up in my room, and change out of this dress and these god damned _heels._ Go wait by the tree, I'll be down in a few!"

* * *

><p>"What's this?" Dean eyed the badly hand made coupon, eyeing his first present. It had Grace's number on the back, and it said "one free date" on the front.<p>

"I snagged you a date with Grace. Call the number on the back." She winked, watching Dean's face light up with a smile. "Go on open the rest of the gift."

Holly smiled even wider as Dean opened the second part excitedly. "NO FUCKING WAY. How did you manage to get this? Wasn't this really expensive? I can't believe you got me a signed ACDC special addition record. Get the fuck out." Holly just laughed as he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, before letting go and sitting down happily at Sam's side, waiting for his present from him.

Holly found it so cute when they awkwardly gave each other their gifts, not looking the other in the eye. She noticed the warm, loving smiles on their faces as they opened them though, knowing that someone in the world knew just what the other wanted.

Dean went downstairs right after that, to listen to the record and possibly call Grace, which left Sam and Holly alone.—They'll never know, but Dean left them alone on purpose.—

"So, uh…oh, this is for you, Holly. Merry Christmas." They were sitting on the floor, pretty close together, and she delicately took one of the gifts from his hand. The one she took was encased in a large bag, and Sam winced. He looks more embarrassed then he's ever been. "You told me to make you something, so I tried."

Inside the big bag was a large, soft pillow. It was just a regular pillow, but the stitches were all off and it was over stuffed, and some of the corners were larger than the others. The fabric was a soft cotton, but instead of a design it was just a plain, light grey pillow with writing on it. As she took a closer look, she realized they were lyrics. To her favorite songs.

"I—you told me about how much you liked music. And I remembered the songs you told me you liked, and some of the stuff you'd sing around here and during our lessons, and I had them made into a fabric. And then I uh, you know, made the pillow. I figured if you ever couldn't sleep you could look at the lyrics and I don't know, maybe it'd get you nice and calm and you could get some rest. I—there's a better gift."

The pillow even smells sort of like Sam, and Holly feels completely overjoyed. She'd be okay with just this. She hugs it close to her body and peeks up at him over the pillow. "I really, really like it." She says, more touched than she would like to admit as she traces the uneven stitches, picturing him sitting there and making this gift for _her._

Sam can't meet her eyes, and he rubs his neck. "It's awfully made."

"That's why I like it."

"I have something else for you, too."

"I really like this one, though." Still, she takes the other package with care, never letting go of the pillow.

She hears Sam sigh softly, still a little embarrassed. "Just open it."

Inside is a little necklace. It's a simple, silver chain with a tiny, silver key on it. It was modest, and completely beautiful. It was simply Holly.

"The key doesn't do anything, but I saw it and I—I don't know, I just…"

"Thank you." She threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him until she felt his arms tighten around her waist.

"You're welcome." His reply was soft and murmured into her hair, and Holly thought about how she wouldn't mind if all his words were said just like that. After a few moments she pulled back and got her presents for him, putting both the box and bag in front of him.

"Pick!"

"I'll take the bag first."

He pulled out a dark blue knitted scarf, and smiled. It wasn't really girly, and it'd be perfect for the winter. Plus, it was pretty well made.

"You said you wanted something hand made, too. I can't do much, but I can make some pretty good scarves. So yeah."

"It's great, thank you Holly." The cotton was soft to the touch as he folded it back up, smiling.

Holly was feeling quite shy about showing him the second gift. _What if I looked way too deep into things?_

"Is this one also for me?" His fingers grazed the package of the little figures.

Holly nodded and drew her knees up to her chest, clutching the pillow as he unwrapped the paper, pulling out the statue thing.

"I…I saw it, while I was at the mall and I thought of you because it reminded me of how we would sit in the café surrounded by coffee and books and you'd be teaching me and—and I don't know I just, I thought it fit and I don't really know if you like it but…yeah." She finished lamely, before looking up and seeing a genuine smile etched onto his face. It made her heart skip a beat.

"I love it, Holly. It's one of my favorite gifts. In fact, both of your gifts are in my top 3 favorite gift list. Thank you, Holly. They really mean a lot. This little thing is going on my desk."

Holly smiled delightedly, and one minute the mood is light and cheerful, and the next it's a little bit too warm in the room for Holly's liking, as she's staring at Sam and he's staring right back.

"I hope you had a good Christmas…" He whispered, and Holly realized just how close they were sitting. She was sitting on her knees across from Sam and he was sitting with is legs crossed, and all they had to do was lean forward and they'd be close enough to kiss.

"I really did…this was one of the best I've had, to be honest." She leaned forward a little, almost as if she were being pulled in. She couldn't really help it at this point. The only thing she was focusing on were his eyes. They had their wonderful specks of green in them today.

"So did I, hands down."

"I'm really glad I got to spend it with you guys, too…" Their voices were still hushed and they were much, much closer than before. Holly could feel soft puffs of warm breath hitting her face as she leaned forward and he leaned in. His breathing was rugged and Holly was holding her breath and _oh God_ she couldn't even stop herself at this point.

"You know I'm here for as long as you want me here. We're friends, I want you around."

Holly wanted to say that _friends_ didn't have this much of a sexual tension or whatever it was they had going on, but before she can even utter a syllable Sam's hands are pulling her in gently by her cheeks, and she sees a slight flash of green before his lips are on hers. It was probably supposed to be soft and short, and neither of them were expecting Holly's hands to fly to the sides of his neck and kiss him back with as much force as she can muster.

It only takes moments for them to heat up until Sam's hands are pulling Holly closer by her hips and she's nibbling lightly on his lower lip. If she thought Sam was the passive type, boy was she wrong. His hands are pressing her close as he leans into her, making her tip her head back so he can hold her still and _kiss_ her like she's wanted him to for so long.

Then Sam pulls away. He slides off into his room and Holly's left dazed on the floor, feeling cold with her heart rattling in her chest.

* * *

><p>I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. REALLY, I'M REALLY SORRY.<p>

School is stressing me out like CRAZY. It's only my first week and I've had a mental breakdown.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

But I'm managing. (': Writing makes me feel better, so I'm glad i found the time to finish this and share with you guys.

Sorry again that it took longer than I ever do.

But I tried to make it up to you! this is the longest chapter i have so far. and i gave you a cute little scene awwwwww.

don't worry, Sam's not leaving repulsed or upset. LOL.

Thanks to all those who've reviewed! I really look forward to hearing what you think about this chapter. (:

I really do hope you enjoyed it. I worked all night on it. (it's 2 am. LOL.)

Anyway, reviews are wonderful. I hope you liked it.

I'm going to try to get the next chapter up soon...I need to do all my homework first though. Hopefully I can have it up for Sunday.

Have a good weekend, guys!


	11. Chapter 11

They don't bring it up, and Sam doesn't kiss Holly again. Holly goes to her classes, Sam teaches his, and they fall back into a rhythm. It was a little awkward at first; Holly didn't know what to do. But things fell right back into place. It was almost as if it never happened.

Except, it did. And Holly wished it could happen again. And again. And oh, maybe again. It was strange, though. Holly was so used to taking care of herself, and doing everything on her own. She didn't look to anyone for help unless she _absolutely had to,_ and even then she would always return the favor 10 fold.

With Sam, though, she felt herself slipping. Well, okay, maybe she was clumsily falling face first off of a diving board. She just didn't know what she could do. She was constantly thinking about him and craving his touch. She wanted to hold his hands and play with his hair. To trail her fingers on the nape of his neck.

These thoughts were so cliché and corny that she almost felt like throwing up every time she'd find herself thinking them. Which happened to be at the worst times, like during classes where she should have been _learning _or when she was waiting for something to cook—she actually managed to burn two dinners already. Thank God for takeout.—and it was honestly a mess. Like diving, there's nothing you can do after you've already fallen, but fall.

Things were evening back out, though. They had their dinner with Dean—which was becoming less frequent. Holly suspects it's because he's spending time with Grace.—and they still watched The Office together at 7, and they even joked around now. Holly wanted to be relieved that they were okay, that they were normal. She really, really wanted to be. But she was craving more; she didn't want to be just friends anymore. _Not after I found out what a great kisser he was. Damn. And well okay I mean yeah there's the whole liking him thing but you know._

"God Holly, I thought something happened to you! I haven't seen you in ages." It was a Saturday afternoon, and Holly was back at the diner, making up on lost time. Anna was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, holding Holly's apron in her hand with a grin on her face.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I've been so busy with getting back into the school rhythm and then there was the whole Christmas break thing and I—"

"I know babe. Don't worry about a thing, I'm glad to see your gorgeous face back here. I've missed ya!" She winked, making Holly laugh. Holly slipped off her sweatshirt and took the apron from her Anna's hands, sliding it over her tank top.

"I missed you too. It's pretty dead in here, for a Saturday afternoon."

"Yeah well you just missed the hype. I hired some new help; this one guy actually. He's a real looker; all these young girls come in and gawk at him. Maybe I should set you guys up. You need some sort of a male in your life."

Holly blushed, tugging at her apron. _Why did conversations always lead to this? Jesus. _"No I—I'm alright, I'll meet him and stuff; he's a worker here too I guess it's bound to happen, but don't…don't set us up or anything."

"Oh? Why not? Is there gossip that I've missed while you were MIA? Come, come, sit." Anna grinned and patted the counter, waiting for her to take a seat on the stool. It was a cute diner, Holly mused. There was a long counter with little stools, for people who wanted a quick coffee in the morning, and then there were booths for people who decided to stay and eat. It was nice. Holly sat and sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I like this guy," She started. At least she could openly admit it now. "He happens to be Sam, my—"

"YOUR PROFESSOR? THE SEXY ONE?"

"My _previous_ professor. He doesn't teach me anymore, it was only for one semester. And…well I mean I guess he's attractive…really…" She mumbled, looking down at her hands. Her fingers were thin and tiny, but for short fingers, they looked almost graceful. _Sam's hands are wonderful. They're strong and soft but not really and—stop it Holly oh my god._

"The guy you're living with, right? OOOHHHH SCANDELOUS THIS IS LIKE ONE OF MY DRAMA SHOWS. Please tell me you're not pregnant."

"NO!" she exclaimed, face even redder than it was before. Honestly, this was not where she wanted the conversation to lead to.

"No," she continued, calmer than before. "I'm not pregnant. Really, _really?" _

Anna just grinned, a snort escaping her lips. "What? Hey, from what I got, he was really—"

She was cut off by the sound of bells, indicating that someone walked through the door. The girls shot up and Holly fixed her apron, ready to work.

"Table for—"

"Holly?"

Holly froze in her tracks, blinking and turning abruptly, facing the voice that called her name. She knew who it was before she even looked; she was pretty sure that she could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Sam? And…Dean?"

The two men were standing in the doorway of the diner. Sam had a really confused look on his face, but Dean just looked smug. Holly narrowed her eyes.

"You work here?" Sam sounded genuinely curious, and Dean was looking far too innocent. _Just what exactly is going on?_

"Uh…yeah. This is the diner I work at. What are you guys doing here?"

"Dean got lost while we were going to one of his friends house, and he got hungry, so we stopped at some place to eat…"

"Silly me!" Holly knew this was all a ploy. She just didn't know for what. _Dean never gets lost. Ever._

"Right…well, then eat I guess. Oh, Anna, these are my friends Sam and Dean." Holly was pleased when Anna got the whole 'This is Sam the guy who I live with and his brother but this is Sam the guy I was telling you about' internal message she was sending her with her eyes.

Anna's eyes lit up and she smiled, pointing them over to a table. "Take a seat! We're thankfully empty right now. And it's nice to meet you two!" Her eyes stared at their asses as they walked, and she mouthed a 'nice catch' in Holly's direction; causing the younger girl to blush and roll her eyes. _Of course._

Holly was used to making their food and giving it to them and all, but this was awkward. They didn't stay too long, and it was more like the four of them—Anna, of course, was part—just hung our for a while, until some other people came.

"Oh, that's right!" Dean exclaimed, just as they were leaving. "I can't believe I forgot!" This dialogue was sounding way too scripted, and Holly watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"Grace and I are going to this club at 7. She said she wanted you and Sam to go, too! Good thing we caught you here, because I'm dropping Sam off and going to her place!"

Her eyebrows narrowed. "I'm a bit busy, I have to get—"

"Dean, I have to prepare what I'm going to be lecturing next wee—"

Holly and Sam started protesting at the same time, but Dean cut them both off.

"Grace isn't going to take no as an answer! Isn't your shift over now, Holly? Perfect timing, look at that! And hey Grace is expecting me, so I'll just leave Sam in your care! See ya both later!" He scribbled the club name down on the back of the receipt and gave it to Sam before running out the door. Holly couldn't miss the look of success on his face. He knew something was up between them. _That fucking bastard…_

"Is he always so weird?" Anna mused, causing the awkward tension to die down for a bit as they laughed.

"Sad to say, but yes he really is." Sam grinned, and Holly felt her insides melt. _Really? Are you for real? I will not be reduced to one of those cliché girls. Nope. Not happening._

"Anyway, you two should get on out of here! Your shift is up. And I don't want to hear you doing work, you hear me? You go have fun! It's the weekend, you can work tomorrow. Go, you hear me Holly?"

Holly didn't know if it was because she was her boss, or if it was because she sounded really persuasive, but she found herself nodding. Sam found himself doing the same.

Anna grinned. "Awesome! I'll see you on Tuesday, Holly! Have fun!" And with that, Holly and Sam were ushered out of the door. They stood in an awkward sort of silence for a moment, wondering what to do.

"I guess if we're going later we should head home? It's already 4. I guess we'll have to get ready…?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

"They made their way to the car, and Holly held out her keys. "Do you want to drive?" _Maybe guys like being the one to drive? I don't know…_

He smiled. They locked eyes and for a moment it looked like he was going to kiss her again. Or maybe it was just Holly preparing to jump his bones. _I dunno. _"It's alright, it's your car. We'll take mine when we go meet Dean and Grace at the…club. Thing."

_Good God, this was going to be one helluva night._

* * *

><p>"Guys, I'm—so…yay! Guys, you made it!" Grace…well, she ungracefully staggered over to them, looking drunk as can be. Dean managed to put an arm around her waist before she plummeted to the ground.<p>

"Well, someone seems to not waste anytime. Hey Grace!" Holly was laughing as Grace pulled her into a hug, literally flying against the shorter girl.

"You look great, Holly! Sam you better make sure she," she took a pause to stop her slurs, "doesn't get hit on! Watch out for her!"

Holly's face tinted pink as Sam just laughed a little. "Alright, you have my word." Something about the way he said it made her spine tingle.

"Alright you two, go get some drinks!" She gave them both sloppy pushes on their backs, forcefully leading them to the direction of the bar, past the crowds of dancing people. Once they were out of sight, Grace straightened herself up and cleared her throat.

"Think I gave a good performance?"

"You looked royally smashed. I'm impressed." Dean grinned at the girl who did a little curtsy. Not that there was much to curtsy with; her dress was like a second skin.

"You're a good brother to him, in a twisted, sort of way."

"I know what he wants before he even wants it. And besides, the tension in my house the past few weeks has been unbearable. These two are really great at avoiding the fucking pink, spotted elephant in the room."

Grace just laughed and pulled Dean over to the dance floor by his sleeve. "Well, no need for tension now. Let's dance."

Sam and Holly, however, weren't having such easygoing luck. They were sitting on stools at the bar, engulfed in a silence. The club might have been loud and full of chatter, but all Holly could focus on was the way his jaw bone quivered every time he swallowed.

"Uh," he started, after some time, "I'll get you a drink?" He intended it as a statement, but it came out as a question, and he stuttered a bit. He mentally cursed at himself.

"Sure!" _Shit fuck okay do I get something with alcohol? What if I look sleazy? Okay I'll get something without it. But wait, we're at a BAR. He's going to think I'm some sort of…prude…person thing! I don't know! _"I'll take a gin and tonic, please." She made her voice calm, despite her internal conflict.

Sam ordered—and paid—for her drink, and his beer. They sat in awkward silence for a couple of minutes, drowned out with sips of alcohol and music pumping in the background.

"So it was—"

"I was—"

They blinked, both instantly shutting up before erupting into a mutual, pleasant laugh.

"You go first," Holly grinned, starting her second drink.

"No it's okay, ladies first."

"…I forgot."

"…So did I."

The laughter continued, as did their drinks. It was about a half hour later, and well, Holly was kind of drunk. She was a lightweight anyway; it only really took 2 or 3 drinks to affect her small frame.

Sam…Sam _looked _fine. But he was starting to feel a buzz. And, as Dean had internally predicted, a drunk Sam equals an easily jealous one.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom. Wait here." His instructions were clear and Holly blinked her unfocused eyes up at him, nodding. She wasn't _wasted, _but it wasn't everyday where she drank, so she was feeling…tipsy.

Sam was gone for a few minutes before a man walked up to her. He looked to be around her age, maybe a little older—like Sam?—with a medium build—his shoulders were less broad than Sam's—and brown eyes.—they didn't have flecks of green and gold in them like Sam's did.— Everything always went back to Sam now.

It pissed Holly off. What gave him any right to invade her mind?

"I spotted you over here by yourself, and I figured such a pretty lady shouldn't be on her own. You want to dance?" He didn't really give her a chance to answer, because he took her hand and helped her stand. She was a little out of it, and stumbled over her feet before a warm hand grabbed her bare shoulder.

"Actually, she's not over here by herself. She's with me, and we're going to dance. So, if you'll excuse me…" Sam physically uncurled the man's hand from around her wrist, and pulled Holly into his hold. The shorter man grumbled and walked off, mumbling something about hot girls being taken.

"I told you to stay seated."

"I did! He pulled me!" She was pouting as his arms wound their way around her waist. "What're you doing?"

"If I'm not watching you, someone's going to grab you."

"Why do you care?" It wasn't harsh or bitter, it was purely inquisitive. She honestly wanted to know why he cared so much.

They locked eyes for a moment before watching his jaw quiver, like it does when he gulps, and tries to speak. When he didn't, she brought her eyes up to his again. The flecks of green were really visible when the strobe lights would flash, and instead of being on the dance floor like she'd expected, they were away from the crowd, near a wall.

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself…" With that, his lips were on hers again. Holly doesn't remember whether she pressed closer first, or if he leaned down. It doesn't really matter to her though, because they're finally kissing again _thank you God_ and there's nowhere for him to run off to this time.

Sam's hands were on the small of her back, which was pretty exposed due to the dress she was wearing and she hadn't realized how cold she'd been, until the warmth of his hands spread through her, making her shudder.

Her hands were tugging on his hair hair, encircling his neck; anything she could do to bring herself closer. It was strange; kissing him was different than anyone else she's ever kissed before. Those were just kisses. These were…these were kind of like breathing. They were like taking gulps of pure oxygen after having held your breath for minutes. _It has to be the alcohol…_

The only actual breathing they did were gasps when absolutely necessary. She was licking his lips and he was pulling her closer and—

And it was over. Some drunk girl plummeted into them, knocking Holly down onto her butt. Their moment of heat was over, and as Sam helped her to her feet again, she broke out in a grin, which led her to laugh. And her laughter was so contagious that Sam was laughing too. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around, almost in an embarrassed and shy sort of way.

"Hey, you guys staying? Grace is passed out; we're going to split." Dean eyed them, flickering his gaze to their hands. They were still locked from when he helped her up.

"Yeah, we'll be going now too." Sam looked to Holly who nodded in agreement. Dean had Grace sprawled across him on piggyback, and he walked first. Holly followed Sam outside as well, embracing the cool, outside air. It chilled the heat and butterflies that coiled in her stomach.

_I wonder what this means._

* * *

><p>aw hey there guys :D how's everyone doing?<p>

I hope your week was better than mine, LOL. school's been pretty tough, so I'm sorry for slow updates.

Hopefully i'll get used to it soon and will be able to balance it better and all that jazz.

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's kind of fluffier than previous chapters,

but expect some sort of fluff with this new budding romance (;

and the little sub plot romance with dean and grace.

but yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Reviews really make me happy, and make me want to continue the story. :3

i hope you guys liked it, i'll be aiming to update as soon as possible!

have a great weekend. :D


	12. Chapter 12

_Why is everything so time consuming? _

Holly sighed, pushing her fringe from her face. The past few weeks have been nothing but sleep, school, cooking, work, and back to sleep. She has literally no time for anything. _Including Sam._

They haven't really talked much and Holly still doesn't know where they stand and that's frustrating as hell to her, or at least, it was. She was always more of a relationship type, but lately, she's been realizing that relationships just mess things up. After a while, Sam would realize that he could do way better than a poor college student. It was only a matter of time, but Holly would enjoy what she had while it lasted.

Finally, it was a Friday night where Holly had off. The freezing cold was pulling back and buds were forming on trees. Holly was sprawled out on one of the couches, waiting for the office to come on, and for Sam to come home—she still felt shy calling this place home.—

She was here by herself; Sam was just as busy as she was with his job. He'd been putting in long hours in the school; sometimes she'd hear him coming in at 2 AM. Despite all that, every couple of Friday nights, they made plans to watch the office together, like they always did.

Although, things were really different now then they were when she first came here. Firstly, Holly was happier. She felt bad for staying here, invading their home, but she liked it here. Dean was fun to be around, she just _liked_ Sam, and they seemed to care about her. She felt like she belonged, even though she knew it couldn't last forever.

Sam walked through the door, shaking her out of her thoughts. He threw his coat on a chair and smiled, seeing the plate of food on the table that she always left out when he worked late. Dean joked about them being a married couple.

"You might need to heat it up," Holly mumbled over the tv, "it probably got cold."

"It's alright, is the office on? I'll only be a second." Sam scarfed his food down, which wasn't that hard; it's not like he wasn't hungry. He'd been working all day, and was ready for his break.

"Sorry I was so late, this one kid didn't know what lyrical poetry was…I didn't expect to have to do some sort of high school English lesson…"

Holly chuckled from her spot on the couch as Sam came over, chewing the last of his dinner.

"By the way, you made a great burger."

"Well, you know how I do. Now come on, you're missing the office."

Sam sat down next to Holly—really, really next to Holly—and threw his arm around the top of the couch. She just grinned, and slowly leaned into his side as his arm slipped from the couch to her shoulder. They watched in silence for a couple of moments, before Sam spoke up.

"Should we…you know…talk about this?"

"This?"

"..._Us." _

Holly's posture tensed as she kept her focus on the tv. Of course she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms and proclaim her position as his girlfriend, but she couldn't do it.

There were two thoughts running through her mind. The first one was that she was in no way good enough. Poor college student, with broken things where her heart should be, a crazy mom, no dad; she could go on and on about how there were people with stable lives who were probably throwing themselves at him whenever they had the chance.

The second thought was the fact that she couldn't work relationships. She got awkward, and clingy, and angry, and her emotions just ran rampant when she was left alone in her thoughts. He'd get tired of her. _She _got tired of herself all the time; why would he want to deal with her? He'd get tired of her. They wouldn't be friends anymore. She'd lose people that she cherished. Things would mess up. Okay, so maybe that was way more than two thoughts, but her mind was a mess.

"I don't really…want to talk about this. Because then we'll have to label it, and then after we label it there's nowhere else to go, but down. Does that…does that make sense?"

Sam could tell it was hard for her to talk about things like this, by the way she stiffened, and by the way her skin had a slight quiver to it. He could tell, because his arm was on her bare shoulder. He brushed his fingers against her skin lightly, feeling proud when her shoulders dropped into a loose position.

"It makes sense. I understand your hesitation. We'll just…be. Okay? I won't force you to be anything you don't want to."

"No, no. Sam, it's not that I don't want to be. You know. I just. That holds so much meaning but not even enough meaning because it's so thrown around but it means something. And I just. To be your. You know—"

"Girlfriend, Holly." He pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was annoyed, but she could see the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "The word you're trying so desperately hard not to say is girlfriend."

Holly grimaced, but relaxed once more as he pulled her closer into his side, showing that he understand where she was coming from, even if it sounded kind of silly. To her, relations with people always just ended badly. She loved her dad, he died. She loved her mom, she went crazy. She loved the stray cat that wandered up onto her doorstep when she was younger; it ran away after a week.

What would happen if she ended up…_really liking _Sam? What would he do to get away from her? She was scared.

"I'm just teasing, Holly. I get it, don't feel bad." His hand reached over to pull her even closer, and she was practically sitting on him. "We won't label this, and we'll stop talking." His fingers on one hand were stroking her cheek, and the other was rubbing circles into her hip. His voice was murmured and she leaned over, brushing her lips against his.

"I could work with that." She whispered against his lips, despite how cliché it made her feel. Something about being with Sam was incredibly cliché to her, and it made her heart shiver.

The office was completely forgotten now, but neither of them really minded.

Holly woke up the next morning wrapped in Sam's arms. They passed out on the couch the night before, Holly didn't remember what time exactly. Nothing really went down, but they kissed. A lot. And touched. A lot. Holly's face flushed as she carefully unwrapped herself from his arms; she had to go to work.

"Nice hickey." Holly chewed back a scream as she walked into the kitchen, where Dean was leaning against the counter, sipping some coffee. He had the smuggest look on his face, and Holly's cheeks reddened even more. She rubbed her neck and turned to make herself a cup of tea, mumbling some excuses under her breath.

"I got some great photos, too. They'll look great framed. I think we should hang them on the wall up the stairs. I've always seen those classy rich folk in movies have photos like—"

"Dean."

"That up their staircase. And you know, you and Sam look absolutely adorable all curled up like that—"

"_Dean._"

"And let me tell you, I thought you guys were naked at first and I almost panicked because I really didn't want to see my brother's—"

"_DEAN!" _

"Alright, alright!" He laughed, done teasing her. He found it more fun than he thought it'd be; almost as fun as teasing Sam.

"I'm done, I'm going down stairs, sheesh. You're snappy in the morning." He pat her affectionately on the head to show he was kidding as he descended to the basement stairs. Holly kept her mouth shut and her eyes narrowed, but a small smile was on her lips.

"Although, if you guys have sex, make sure you keep it down!" He slammed the door shut just as she threw a plastic cup at the door.

_That fucking prick._

* * *

><p>"So you and Sam are like…a thing now?"<p>

It was after work when Grace called Holly, asking if she had time to go for coffee. So here they were, sitting in some café, with Grace perched on her hands staring at Holly with wide eyes as she waited for the story.

"Well…it's kind of complicated. We're not really…we don't have…_titles_, but yeah, I guess we are some sort of a…thing."

"Is he a good kisser?"

"_Grace!"_

"Sorry, sorry," she grinned, shrugging, "A girl's best friend needs to know these things."

"You're just like Dean," Holly mumbled to herself, but then blinked as she looked over to Grace. "Best friend?"

It was Grace's turn to squirm uncomfortably. "Yeah…uh…I mean, you know, I consider you my best friend. You know…if you don't…you don't have to consider me a best friend, I just—"

"Aw, Graaaaaace," she started, drawing out her name. Grace stuck her tongue out, pouting. "I've never had a best friend," Holly continued, "And I do think you're my best friend. Thanks, Grace."

"Yeah, yeah. Mushy moment over. Drink your coffee." Her voice was rushed and gruff as she sipped her drink, but she was smiling.

"You know, I think I said this already but you and Dean are _really_ alike. Mind telling me what's going on with you two? You guys clearly had something, even I could see it."

Grace just grinned, shrugging her shoulders. "Dean's great. He's really funny, and entertaining, and dumb in a good way, and surprisingly nice. He's a really great guy."

"Please don't tell me I hear a but going on."

"But," Grace continued, grin on her face but not in her eyes. " If I get into a relationship, I'm probably going to have to choose between him and my part time job. And I have a lot of fun, which is what I want to do while I'm young. I guess I just have to think it through."

Holly nodded, chewing on those thin and tiny straws they give you to stir your coffee with. "Has he asked you to be his girlfriend or something?"

"No, not yet, but we go out on dates a lot. And we just hang out. And make out. And have sex."

Holly choked on the straw, eyes bulging while Grace just sat there nonchalantly. "A little bit of too much information, Grace. I uh, I don't really want to know about your sex life."

Grace just laughed, "You're so cute, Holly. You have this adorable innocence about you, even though you're already over 20. It's actually refreshing, never change okay?"

"I thought you said touchy feely moments were done?"

"Yeah well, you had your moment, I had to have mine. But this now means I have rights to tease you for months." Grace winked.

The girls finished their coffee and stood, walking to their cars. "Let's hang out again soon, Holly! It was fun. I'll see you later!"

With a smile on her face, Holly got into her car, humming along to music as she drove home. It was 5:30, later than Holly expected. She had to hurry home and make dinner before Sam or Dean attempted. Last time that happened, the three of them had to clean up the kitchen for weeks. There was even splattered, exploded food on the ceiling.

"I'm back." She murmured, hanging her coat up and walking into the house.

"Welcome home." Sam smiled, and Holly had to bite her lips to keep an ear splitting grin from bursting onto her face. Her heart swelled from those two little words, and she felt warm with happiness. _This has to be what honest to God happiness feels like. _

Holly walked into the kitchen and washed her hands, back toward the living room. "Sorry I'm late, I hung out with Grace. What do you want for—Sam?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as Sam's arms wove around her waist. He buried his nose into her neck and inhaled, ticking her. "Sam, what're you doing?" She mumbled between slow giggles.

"You smell like oranges and coffee. It's wonderful." He inhaled once more and closed his eyes. His eyelashes were feathery soft against her skin, and she sighed, closing her eyes too.

_Yep, this is definitely what happiness feels like._

Holly's phone shook them out of their bubble of happiness, and Holly let out a sigh of resentment as she untangled herself from him, grinning as the pout formed on his face.

The grin wiped off her face as she listened to the phone call. She froze and the phone slipped from her fingers, causing Sam to react right away.

"Holly? Holly what happened?" He picked up the phone, putting it to his ear. "Hello? I'm a friend of Holly's. What happened, hello?"

"Yes hello," the woman speaking had a strictly professional voice. "Mrs. Richards is in the hospital. She was sent in a couple of moments ago from her institution; she had a heart attack. This number is her daughter's, correct?"

"Yes." Sam found his voice and he pulled Holly into him. She was still frozen. "How is she?"

"She is unresponsive, sir."

* * *

><p>GUYS I'M SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR LIKE TWO WEEKS<p>

HONESTLY I'M SO SORRY AND I FEEL REALLY BAD PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND KEEP READING

I promise things should speed up soon.

I had a family emergency type thing,

add school and after school activities,

I've barely had time to do my own homework, much less do some free writing.

Life is honestly really crazy and I'm so tired but the second I got some free time I sat down and wrote

I SWEAR.

I hope you guys like this chapter.

Feedback really, really puts a smile on my face and makes my days so much better.

it seems petty, but a little comment from you guys really does do that.

So if you have anything to say, Do say it. I don't mind.

Hopefully, I'll be a lot more free these next couple of weeks.

Stay tuned, guys!

Review if you can, and I hope you enjoyed reading chapter 12!


	13. Chapter 13

It's been two days since Holly's life-shattering phone call, and all she can do is wait. According to the nurses, Holly's mom was playing with a nightlight that was still in the electrical socket, and the small dose of electrocution—plus the medicine she had been taking—sparked some sort of a heart attack.

She's been in a coma for two days now.

Sam has been doing his best to keep Holly grounded, really, he has. He understands how tough it is, how scary it is, how she hurts. But she needs to eat, and she needs to sleep. Holly pushed for going to school tomorrow, but Sam persuaded her to at least take off from work. Anna clearly understood, and wished for the best.

It was Sunday night and Holly and Sam just got back from the hospital. He's been driving her around—he didn't trust her to be driving in her zombie-like state—and literally just about breathing down her neck. It was a little bit suffocating, but Holly appreciated not being left alone.

Sam made that fateful mistake last night, and he made sure to stay with her from now on, until this was over. He found her curled up in a pitiful heap on the floor, crying silently to herself when she thought everyone was asleep. He scooped her up and brought her to the couch, where he held her for the remainder of the night.

Sam knew how important Holly's mom was to her. Sarah was the only family that Holly had left. And despite the fact that Holly was more like the mother at some points, she really loved Sarah. She couldn't lose her.

"I ordered pizza, it should be here in about 10 minutes." Dean was sitting in the kitchen, his voice low and careful for once. He could see how torn up Holly was, too, even though she really did do her best to keep it hidden.

"You guys are babying me." She attempted to joke, but she hadn't spoken in hours and her voice came out like a meek whisper and she winced at how pathetic she sounded.

"What kind of pizza did you get?" Holly tried again before anyone could speak, her voice stronger.

"Half extra cheese and half peperoni." Dean grinned and Holly allowed a small grin back. She drank in times like these where she could forget for a little while. It seemed selfish; forgetting about her mother in the hospital, but she needed it to breathe better. With her mom sick, these past two days have felt like Holly was trying to breathe under water.

After dinner Dean went back down stairs into his apartment. He almost wanted to stay and see if he could do anything to help Holly, but he knew that's what Sam was for. Still, he gave her a gentle head pat before he descended downstairs; something that was growing to being Holly's special gesture.

"I rented movies…" Sam offered feebly from his spot on the couch, and a ghost of a smile touched Holly's lips before she made her way to the couch, sitting down on the opposite end.

"Do I smell?" Sam teased, but his eyes were kind with knowing. He understood that she might want some time to herself.

In reality, Holly just didn't want to seem clingy. She never aspired to be one of those girls who depended on someone, which recently, she felt like she was turning into. Despite that, the second Sam hinted at her being too far away she curled herself up into the crook of his shoulder. He held her tightly for a moment, and they sat in silence.

"I rented "The Notebook", "Taken", one of the transformers movies, and "Spiderman."

"The Notebook?" Holly's eyebrow raised and a grin tugged on the corners of her lips, as she looked up at Sam. He merely grinned down at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"I asked a worker what kind of movies girls like, and he gave me this. Why, what is it?"

"Oh my God, Sam, you've never seen The Notebook?"

"Uh…no? Isn't it some chick flick?"

Holly's grinned widened and she curled closer so that she could get a view of his face. "It's not just some chick flick, it's like, _the_ chick flick. And since you've never seen it, we have to watch it now."

"I never took you for the chick flick kind of girl."

"I always took you for the chick flick kind of guy." Holly leaned her face up and let a broad smirk cover her face, and Sam let out a snort of laughter.

"I'm going to get you for that."

Before Holly could react, Sam was on top of her, ticking her sides. She threw her head back and squealed, thrashing around wildly, laughter filling the air like a sweet aroma.

"Sam! Sam stop it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Say I'm not a chick flick kind of guy." His fingers fluttered and dipped over her sides and hips—which he knew were her most ticklish points. Sam watched her gulp for air between her laughter, and felt a sense of pride.

"Sam—"

"Say it!"

"Okay, okay!" She panted, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. Holly was laughing so hard that it hurt. "You're not a chick flick kind of guy!"

"I'm a manly, sexy kind of guy?"

"You're a manly," she paused to catch her breath, inhaling big gulps of air as Sam slowed his assault, "sexy kind of guy." She finished, breathing heavily from her spot on the couch as he sat up in victory.

"And you're a fucking cheater." Holly mumbled under her breath, gingerly rubbing her sore sides. Sam merely grinned as he hovered over her, his face all too smug. He looked as if he just won a contest by cheating, and didn't feel an ounce of gilt.

"Your face is red." He dumbly pointed out, and his grin only grew as he watch her make a _of-course-it's-fucking-red-you-idiot-you-just-tickled-the-shit-out-of-me _face. He loved the way her nose crinkled while she laughed, and the way he could see a freckle right below her left eye. He loved the way—

Sam stopped himself mid thought and his eyes widened. Love? Did he really just think about love? _I was just lost in the moment. She's just really pretty when I'm this close. It's purely just in the moment. I don't have to worry. It's too early for love. _

He tried to reassure himself that things were just how they always were with their non-but-sort-of relationship, and he pecked her lips softly, keeping her from asking if something was up.

"Now," he started, putting the movie into the DVD player, "let's attempt to slay this chick flick."

"You're going to like it, Sam."

"Yeah, okay."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Holly got a call from the hospital that her mother was in a stable condition, and should hopefully be waking up soon. Holly was thrilled, and so was Sam. He was relieved that her mom would be okay, and that she was smiling.<p>

Holly even took a day off from school, as did Sam, when he offered to keep her company at the hospital.

"Sam, are you sure?" Holly's tone was concerned, but really, she was so happy that he was going. If her mom woke up, she'd get to meet Sam.

"Yes, Holly, for the tenth time," he teased, "I barely take days off, and they can get a one day substitute teacher. It's not a big deal. Now c'mon, get in the car."

And with that, they were off.

The smell of hospital always disgusted Holly. It smelt like medicine, sick people, and fake food. The bright yellow and white walls weren't making situations better because Holly's head was beginning to ache. It took a few hours, but Sarah finally woke up.

"Are either of you related to Mrs. Sarah Richards?" A kindly looking nurse had walked up to the pair, causing them to jump out of their seats.

"Yes, that would be me! Is everything okay? What's going on?" Holly's tiny body bolted upright, and the nurse smiled kindly at her.

"You're in luck, your mother's just waking up. You'll be able to go see her. And who is he?" The nurse smiled up at Sam, who fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I'm uh…I have uh…to Holly, you know…" He didn't know where to take it, because Holly was the one who said she didn't even want to label them, really. And while he understood, it would just make things easier. After all, they were pretty much dating.

"He's my boyfriend." Came a shy murmur from Sam's left, and his eyes widened a fraction while the nurse's kindly smile returned to her face.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, she's a little weak, clearly. It'd be best if just one person went, at least for now. I don't want all of the commotion to stir her up. Is that okay?"

Sam sent a silent okay to Holly when their eyes locked, and she nodded. Sam sat back down on the chair, but not before stroking Holly's wrist as a small act of comfort. And to be honest, it calmed her down more than she could say.

Holly walked into her mom's hospital room, feeling a burn behind her eyes as she saw how weak and fragile her mother looked. She was pale, and there was an IV in her arm, and wires and tubes all connected to different parts of her. Holly's heart clenched.

Sarah's eyes were open when Holly walked in, and she attempted a feeble smile. "Hi, mom. I don't know if you can really talk yet, but I'm here okay? Nothing's going to hurt you, I promise."

Holly could see the almost crazed fear in her mother's eyes. She figured her mother hadn't taken her medication, and she knew that Sarah needed those as soon as should could possibly get it.

She was about to go get a nurse, but Sarah groaned and tried to sit up.

"No, mom, you have to stay down, okay? You got sick. But it's okay, you're okay now. You just need your medicine."

"Are you mad at me?" Holly's mom's voice was a hoarse whisper. Holly put the cup of water on her bedside to her mother's lips.

"Why would I be mad at you, mom?"

"I didn't take my medicine." She sounded ashamed, like she knew she didn't listen to Holly. Like she knew she let her daughter down. Holly's eyes burned more than before, and she did her best to keep her vision from blurring.

"No, mom, I'm not mad at you. At all. This wasn't your fault. This wasn't your fault."

"They're here, Holly. They wanted me to go with them, but I fought. I fought to stay. Holly, I want them to go away, make them go away!"

Holly could hear the heart monitor start beeping quicker, and Holly did the best she could to keep her mother calm.

"Shh, mom, it's okay, just relax. I'm here, right? You know when I'm here nothing can happen." She pressed the button for the nurse's attention, and sighed in relief when one came a few seconds later.

"My mother needs her medication. She's a bipolar schizophrenic. She should have a file here, it has her medication. She needs it as soon as possible or she's going to freak out."

The nurse solemnly dashed out of the room, and a few seconds later, Holly's mother was heavily sedated and medicated. It was always tough seeing her mother resist help, and then have to get sedated. But she'd be better soon, now that this was okay.

"Holly, who's that?" Her mother's words were slurred, but she pointed to the door. Standing there was Sam. He looked a little nervous, and very apologetic.

"They told me to come get you. They said visiting hours are over, I'm sorry."

"Mom, visiting hours are over. I have to go home. I'll come see you tomorrow, and everyday until you get out, okay?"

Her mother wasn't really listening, though, her gaze was fixed on Sam.

"That's Sam," Holly tried again, voice as soft as a breeze. "He's my friend, mom. The one I'm staying with? He brought me here. He's safe."

Sam waved very slightly, eyes darting from Holly to her mother every couple of seconds. This wasn't how he expected to meet her, but this was what he got and he wasn't going to complain.

"He doesn't give off a bad aura. He's good, Holly. I like 'im…" Sarah's eyes were drooping. Holly pressed a kiss to her mother's forehead, before whispering goodnight, and walking out with Sam.

The car ride was silent; neither wanted to say the wrong thing. Sam didn't know how Holly was holding on. When they got inside, however, Holly threw herself into Sam's arms, not really caring that he wasn't expecting anything.

He felt the neckline of his shirt growing damp, and he tightened his hold around her. They were standing by the coat closet, so he carefully scooped her up and carried her to the couch, sitting down with her still clinging onto him.

"She's okay." Her words were so quiet, that he relied on her lips pressed into his skin to understand what she was saying.

"Yes, Holly. She's going to be okay."

He felt an almost slightly hysterical giggle bubble against his neck, and he resisted a shiver.

"I'm so glad." She pulled her face back, finally feeling calmer. She had tried to control herself, at least until she was alone in her room, but it hadn't worked. She was so relieved about her mother waking up, and her mother liking Sam, and everything wasn't perfect but it was starting to look up, just a little. She wasn't going to jinx anything though.

Sam was watching her, her face red from crying and her blue eyes looking impossibly more clear because of the tears pooling in them. Her hair was in a messy bun, and the tiny freckle under her left eye was a little darker, because of the color on her face. The tip of her nose was red too, and her lips looked bruised and bitten from worry.

"You're beautiful." He murmured, taking one of his hands that were wrapped around her waist and brushing it over her cheek, stroking the tiny freckle, and then cupping her jaw.

Holly's legs wrapped themselves around Sam, and she leaned her head onto his shoulder, sighing. She could stay like this all day.

"My face is tear streaked and I probably have snot everywhere." She felt Sam's chuckle against her own chest, and she pressed closer, wanting to capture that chuckle and be able to have it whenever she wanted.

"You're still beautiful."

"Remember when I said you weren't a chick flick kind of guy? Well, I take it back." She pulled back and grinned at him, watching his eyes narrow and a smirk cross his lips. In the blink of an eye, she was pressed back into the couch with Sam looming over her.

"Please don't tickle me oh my God I'm sorry please don't—"

He cut her off with a kiss.

"Stop talking." He mumbled against her lips, tugging one with his teeth. Holly whimpers a little and runs her hands up his shoulder and into his hair, pulling him in for another kiss.

Holly's heart is beating rapidly, and she's probably making embarrassing little breathy sounds that she can't hear over the sound of her blood pounding in her ears. Sam's tongue is sweeping over the roof of her mouth and around her tongue as if he's trying to memorize her mouth. He catches each noise she makes against his own mouth, greedily not letting anything else get a chance.

"So, I see you guys are celebrating, does that mean your mom's okay?"

Sam growls angrily as Dean's voice floats into the den, and he feels Holly freeze under him. _Dammit, Dean._

He pulls away slowly, taking in Holly's flushed face—now, probably from Dean—and her bruised and pink lips, and her dazed eyes, and feels a sense of pride and want before pulling himself off completely. He shoots an angry glare to Dean, who stands there innocently.

Holly sits up for a few seconds, finding her voice and fixing her shirt, which she hadn't realized had a couple of open buttons.

"Y…yeah. She, uh, we went to visit and she woke up, and, uh, yeah. She's going to be okay, if, you know, things go as they…go." She was aware of how awkward she sounded, and Dean's shit-eating grin made her chuck a pillow at him.

"I'm glad to hear that, Holly. She'll be okay." Dean was whistling as he walking to his door.

"And remember, no lovin' without the glovin'!" Holly's face burned brighter as Dean dashed down the stairs, barely avoiding the TV remote that Sam chucked at him.

They sat there in silence for a couple of seconds.

Sam looked over to her and grinned, before they both collapsed back on the couch, laughing.

"God that was so embarrassing." Holly groaned, covering her face with a pillow.

"I felt like a teenager again, being caught making out on the couch."

Holly laughed louder at Sam's words and he pulled the pillow off of her face, kissing her cheek.

"I want lunch. Can we make sandwiches?" His eyes were all puppy-dog like, and Holly realized he had that look perfected to a "t". Damn, he was good. She just grinned and stood up, swaying her hips a little as she walked into the kitchen. She felt Sam's eyes on her and she threw her head back and laughed, feeling better than she had in a while.

"Yeah, sasquatch, let's have some lunch."

* * *

><p>OH GOD GUYS PLEASE DON'T HATE ME<p>

LOOK I ADDED A REALLY CUTE SCENE AT THE END LOOK AT THEIR SEXUAL FRUSTRATION

take it as an apology

i'm so sorry i haven't been here. Really. I've actually been in the hospital..

but I'm getting better. so I figured I could write. I missed this story a lot.

I hope you're all okay!

Please comment and things? I want to know what you think!

I have a really hard time writing kissing scenes. I'm really awkward HAHAH so it makes me like DIEUKJWHSDX OKAY THEN.

but I hope it was okay.

If anyone has any tips, i'd love to hear them! Seriously. I could really improve those scenes.

Tell me what you want to see!

I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter coming soon!


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